Tottenham omits Richarlison from Premier League squad after transfer saga collapse

Richarlison, Tottenham Hotspur’s top scorer from last season, has been left out of the club’s Premier League squad entirely. The Brazilian forward does not figure in manager Roberto De Zerbi’s plans for the current campaign after repeatedly requesting to leave north London.

The omission came ahead of Tottenham’s match against Newcastle United on August 29, 2026, turning what was once a £50m-plus transfer into something closer to a standoff with no winners.

How it fell apart

Tottenham had reportedly agreed to sell Richarlison back to Everton, the club he left in July 2022 for a fee of £50m plus £10m in potential add-ons. That move unraveled when Richarlison rejected the personal terms on offer.

Meanwhile, Tottenham was set to bring in Iliman Ndiaye from Everton as part of a connected arrangement. With Richarlison’s refusal, that domino chain stopped falling.

Turkish club Trabzonspor then entered the picture, submitting two separate bids. The first came in at £15m and the second at £20m. Tottenham rejected both.

Richarlison has reportedly agreed to personal terms with Trabzonspor verbally, with the deal potentially tripling his current salary. But Tottenham’s refusal to accept the club-to-club fee means the player is stuck in a contractual no man’s land.

With one year remaining on his contract through June 2027, the Turkish transfer window stays open until September 4, leaving a narrow runway for any resolution.

Richarlison’s response

The forward took to Instagram to air his frustration, expressing feelings of turmoil over the situation. He insisted he would not let others dictate his future, framing himself as committed to the club even while signaling his desire to move on.

His record at Spurs has been uneven but far from negligible. Richarlison has scored 32 goals across 134 appearances for the club, with 11 of those coming during the 2025-26 Premier League season. That tally made him the team’s leading scorer during what was a turbulent campaign that saw Tottenham embroiled in a relegation battle.

De Zerbi’s cold calculation

Roberto De Zerbi’s decision to exclude Richarlison from the squad entirely, rather than keeping him as a bench option, sends an unmistakable signal. This isn’t a rotation decision or a fitness concern.

What to watch next

The September 4 deadline for the Turkish transfer window is the most immediate pressure point. If Trabzonspor raises its offer or Tottenham softens its asking price, a deal could still materialize. The gap between Trabzonspor’s £20m bid and whatever Tottenham considers acceptable is the space where this saga will either resolve or calcify into a season-long exile.

With his contract expiring in June 2027, Tottenham also face the prospect of losing him for free, or close to it, if they can’t broker a sale in the January window.