Richarlison was left out of Tottenham’s official 25-man Premier League squad list, while Roberto De Zerbi has said the forward told him at the beginning of pre-season that he wanted to leave. De Zerbi addressed the situation in a pre-match press conference after a difficult period for the Brazil forward and the club.
According to Football London, De Zerbi said Richarlison had made clear early in pre-season that he wanted an exit. The manager also said he wanted to retain players who wanted to stay, take pride in representing the club and show the right passion.
Richarlison also set out his position in an Instagram statement. He said he had experienced pressure, threats and retaliation after decisions about his future had been made by others, and stated that he would not allow anyone else to decide his future. He added that any move would have to work for Tottenham as well as for him, and said he expected respect from the club.
De Zerbi Distances Himself from the Boardroom
De Zerbi said the decision-making around Richarlison’s situation was not his responsibility. He described it as a matter for the club and said he could not answer for decisions he had not made.
The manager’s comments drew a distinction between his role as head coach and the club’s work on transfers and negotiations. His position was that Richarlison had communicated his desire to leave, while matters beyond the coaching side of the situation rested elsewhere.
Where Things Actually Stand
With the Turkish transfer window closed, reported interest from Trabzonspor had not resulted in a move. De Zerbi said he was unsure whether there was an offer from Turkey, but confirmed that there had been an offer before the English transfer deadline which Richarlison did not accept.
Richarlison therefore remained at Tottenham after being omitted from the Premier League squad list. The available evidence does not establish an immediate resolution, but De Zerbi’s comments and Richarlison’s own statement make clear that the forward’s future had been under discussion during the transfer window.
