Just two weeks ago, at the start of the season, Richarlison played as Tottenham Hotspur's striker against Brentford. Now, he finds himself in an uncertain and unpleasant situation. London Football analyzes how he gradually reached this point. For both club and player, Richarlison's situation is a mess.

Cracks began to show when the team traveled to Sydney for their pre-season tour. London Football asked Roberto De Zerbi about the future and status of the Brazilian player's contract at that time.

"I don't know. As a player, as a person, I admire him. His attitude and professionalism are perfect. But ultimately, we must respect his personal wishes. We all know what he wants, but for me, he is still an important player, and it's not easy to find another striker like Richarlison, who can score goals and knows how to play," the Italian coach said.

When pressed further on whether the striker had asked to leave, De Zerbi added: "I'm not sure, I don't fully understand. Sometimes he says he wants to stay, sometimes he says he wants to go. In any case, we need to communicate. There is no conflict between us. He is a very good person, everyone likes him—teammates, club, staff, everyone. He trains very hard every day, and you can't fault him on the pitch."

In the opening match against Brentford, De Zerbi criticized Richarlison's performance, along with most of the team that day. After that, Richarlison didn't get a single minute of playing time in two matches against Charlton Athletic and Newcastle United. He wasn't even included in the squad for Newcastle.

Tottenham Hotspur's manager gave only this explanation: "Richarlison, I can't say much. He has repeatedly expressed his desire to leave."

Tottenham Hotspur initially thought they had found a suitor for him, and the club began negotiations with Everton, but the deal ultimately fell through, leaving Richarlison frustrated with the entire process.

The player himself posted on social media: "I have been through so much over the past few years, and I am determined never again to let others decide my future. I have experienced so many terrible things, almost all stemming from decisions made for me by others. Pressure, threats, retaliation—none of this frightens me. Believe me, I have been through far worse situations than this. Whenever I have the opportunity, I always make clear: I will only choose to leave if the transfer is also beneficial for the club. If that's not possible, I will never accept it. Just as when things are difficult and the team needs me, I don't choose to leave, but give everything I can to stay. So I hope the club will treat my situation with the same respect that I have always shown Tottenham Hotspur and everyone I've worked with. Don't try to make decisions for me."

"If Tottenham Hotspur and Everton reached an agreement, I would return to my beloved former club. My intention is indeed to return to the place that has brought me so much happiness, but negotiations only proceed as some people wish, and that will not happen again. Despite the ongoing chaos, I am still a registered player at Tottenham Hotspur and willing to follow the club's arrangements."

Richarlison ultimately did not join Everton and was not effectively utilized by the club either. With the transfer window in England and several European countries closed, De Zerbi decided not to include the Brazilian player in Tottenham's Premier League squad list this season. The 17th and final non-homegrown player slot that was supposed to be his was given to Xavi Simons, who suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury and won't return until around the New Year.

Currently, Richarlison trains separately from his teammates but still trains on the main pitch at Tottenham Hotspur's training ground, as all parties search for a solution to the problem.

De Zerbi clearly stated that the player himself is responsible for this situation.

"All decisions were made by Richarlison himself. He approached me at the start of pre-season and told me his thoughts and desire to leave," said the 47-year-old coach. "After that, we went to recruit another striker. As I said at the beginning of pre-season, I only wanted to keep players who truly wanted to stay here, who had the right respect and passion. All other troublesome issues are not within my scope of work.

This is the club's responsibility. I haven't made any decisions, so I have no comment. At the start of the season, the signals from Richarlison were very clear, and I accepted them. I have nothing else to say."

He added: "There is one important thing the outside world doesn't know. At the beginning of pre-season, I spoke with Richarlison, and I was willing to keep him, so I asked if he was willing to extend his contract, but he refused. Richarlison is an excellent player, very important to the team last season, and a good person. But when a player clearly expresses his desire to leave, I won't pressure him to stay. I feel sorry for him, but we have to move on. Now we have to work with Solanke and Marmoush."

The current dilemma: where else can Richarlison go?

"If a player repeatedly says he wants to leave, there must be an offer on the table, otherwise it's all just talk," De Zerbi explained. "I think a suitable offer for him only came after the transfer window closed. We received offers before the window closed, but the player himself rejected them."

Reports suggest that this late offer came from Trabzonspor, but with the Turkish transfer window closing last Friday, the deal ultimately didn't materialize.

What other options remain? Clubs in the Saudi Pro League have shown interest in him in recent years, making it a potential destination. However, some online reports claimed the Saudi transfer window would close next month, but the league officially announced that the window closed on Sunday evening.

The Portuguese transfer window also closed on September 4, with only a one-week grace period for transfers of young players, ruling out a return to Benfica to reunite with Marco Silva.

The only realistic remaining transfer option is a move back to Brazil, where the transfer window closes this Friday. Flamengo has previously shown interest, and his friend and former Tottenham teammate Emerson Royal plays for the Rio club.

Vasco da Gama is Richarlison's favorite team from his childhood, and club fans recently launched a #RicharlisonToVasco petition on social media. Richarlison also has strong connections with Fluminense, where he made his name before moving to Watford and the Premier League in 2017.

For now, Richarlison can only wait to see if there will be a breakthrough in the final days of the Brazilian transfer window. If not, he will be without a club for the next four months, his career will stall, and it will also affect his prospects with the national team.

He could, like Danny Rose when left out of the squad, see out his current contract and wait until January next year or next summer. However, Tottenham Hotspur has an option to extend and can choose to extend his contract.

Some media reports suggest that both parties may negotiate a contract termination, similar to how the club handled record signing Tanguy Ndombélé a few years ago. But unlike the French player at that time, clubs are still interested in this striker, and a straightforward termination would cause significant financial losses for the club.

This is an unfortunate situation. Despite being hindered by injuries before last season, this player always gave his best for Tottenham Hotspur. This whole affair is a mess for everyone involved.

We will see how bad this situation gets after the Brazilian transfer window closes this Friday.

Diterjemahkan oleh AI.

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