Richarlison's Spurs future in limbo as friendly exit bid and squad exile drag on

Richarlison is seeking an amicable contract termination with Tottenham Hotspur after being left out of the club's registered Premier League squad for 2026-27 and excluded from the League Cup, with Trivela understanding that clubs from Spain, Italy and England have already made enquiries about the 29-year-old striker.

The Brazilian forward has a contract at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium until June 2027 following his £50m move from Everton in July 2022, but boss Roberto De Zerbi has made clear he is not part of the Italian's plans for the season ahead. Richarlison has been training with the club's under-21 squad and was not named in the matchday squad for the League Cup clash against Charlton Athletic on August 26 — his last involvement in a first-team fixture.

De Zerbi contradicted by Richarlison

De Zerbi addressed the situation directly at his pre-match press conference on Monday, insisting the player had expressed a desire to leave before the summer transfer window opened.

'I think Richarlison he decided everything alone,' the Tottenham Hotspur manager said. 'He spoke with me at the beginning of the pre-season and told me his idea and desire was to leave. At the end we go to bring another striker and, like I said at the beginning of the pre-season, I want to keep the players, just the players that want to stay and be proud and with the right passion to stay here.'

Richarlison has publicly rejected that. The forward responded on Instagram by sharing a Fabrizio Romano post about De Zerbi's comments and posting a single word: 'Why?' He has previously issued a longer statement rejecting the narrative being put around his departure.

'After everything I have been through in the last few years, I have decided that never again will anyone decide my future for me,' Richarlison wrote on social media. 'I went through a lot of bad things, and almost all of them happened because decisions were made by other people. Pressure, threats, retaliation — none of that scares me.'

He added: 'I have always made it clear, at every opportunity, that any move of mine to another place would also have to be good for the club. If it was not, I would never accept it. Just like I did not accept it when everything here was falling apart and they needed me. I stayed and gave my life.'

What went wrong with Richarlison's summer exit attempts?

A move to Brazilian club Vasco da Gama — the side Richarlison supports — collapsed over structural disagreement. The striker wanted a short-term arrangement until December 2026, while the Rio de Janeiro club sought a contract lasting three and a half years. Tottenham Hotspur having already reached their loan limit for the window also complicated the negotiations, bringing the talks to an end.

Everton made an approach for their former player and Turkish side Trabzonspor agreed personal terms, but both avenues closed without a deal. De Zerbi confirmed there had been an offer from Turkey but that Richarlison had not accepted it, leaving the forward in a situation where both the English and Turkish transfer windows have now shut.

The episode is particularly difficult to reconcile with the 2025-26 season, in which Richarlison was Tottenham's top scorer with 12 goals across all competitions as the club narrowly avoided relegation to the Championship. De Zerbi only arrived in March of that campaign, and Richarlison made a positive start under him before the relationship deteriorated during the summer.

What comes next for Richarlison?

With both windows closed, Richarlison faces the prospect of remaining sidelined in north London until at least the January transfer window reopens. Trivela understands that his primary objective is to reach an amicable agreement with Tottenham Hotspur before that point rather than pursue a legal route, though FIFA regulations do provide a mechanism for players to request contract termination when they have not fulfilled a minimum number of appearances.

Should he remain under contract in January, Richarlison would be in a position to agree a pre-contract with a new club, with a free transfer taking effect from the summer of 2027. If a termination is agreed sooner, enquiries from clubs in Spain, Italy and England — all of which reached out during the summer window — could be pursued more freely.

Tottenham Hotspur, who spent around £320m on new recruits this summer, have started the 2026-27 Premier League season with two defeats, two draws and no goals.