Opinion: Is Richarlison being treated fairly?

Richarlison's last goal for Tottenham came in a crucial 2-1 win over Aston Villa in May

In the summer of 2022, Tottenham Hotspur paid Everton a total of around £52 million to sign Brazilian striker Richarlison. At the time, it was Tottenham’s second-most expensive signing ever, and it was a real statement of intent from then-manager Antonio Conte.

Richarlison had had a decent four seasons for The Toffees, hitting double figures for goals in the Premier League every season, and played a key role in helping them survive relegation that season. On paper, the signing made sense for someone to push Harry Kane, who would end up leaving the club the following year, for a starting spot – but eyebrows were raised over the fee, which made Richarlison the 8^th-most expensive Brazilian of all time, up with the likes of Neymar, Philippe Coutinho and… Antony.

To say that Spurs’ Number 9 struggled in his first season would be an understatement. As he registered a brace on his Champions League debut at home to Marseille in September 2022, it looked like he had arrived in North London – but it took him until April to score again, against Liverpool.

The following season was a marked improvement under Ange Postecoglou, as he scored 12 goals in 31 appearances in all competitions, numbers which would not have looked out of place in his time at Everton. He struggled with injury in 2024/25, scoring just five times, but last season found himself top goalscorer in a desperately poor Tottenham side, scoring goals under three different managers.

Despite finishing as Tottenham’s top scorer in a hugely disappointing season, Richarlison wanted to leave the club in the summer. A move back to the blue half of Merseyside appeared close as part of a deal that would have seen Iliman Ndiaye move the other way to North London, but the 29-year-old failed to agree personal terms, and Ndiaye ended up at Manchester City.

As time was running out in the transfer window, Richarlison appeared close to an exit on three separate occasions: to Everton, to Trabzonspor in Turkey and to boyhood club Vasco da Gama in Brazil. But he failed to agree terms with either club and now appears to have been frozen out by manager Roberto De Zerbi. He is not in their Premier League squad and, according to De Zerbi, not even in contention for selection for their Carabao Cup tie tonight against Liverpool.

According to the Italian manager, Richarlison’s stance has not changed despite Tottenham clearly lacking in attack – they haven’t scored in any of their opening four league fixtures.

But here’s where the story takes a turn: Richarlison wanted a mutual termination of his contract, which Tottenham were reluctant to do, given that he still has a year left on his contract and they could feasibly still get a decent transfer fee for him. Reports say that Tottenham’s number 9 is exploring whether he can terminate his contract through FIFA rather than wait until January for another transfer.

One reported argument is that being excluded from De Zerbi’s Premier League squad means that his case is strengthened, although this does not necessarily mean that FIFA will back him.

After De Zerbi’s comments, saying that Richarlison will not be considered for selection in cup competitions, the Brazilian responded with posting crying emojis on social media and a video addressing Vasco da Gama fans, saying that, as much as he wanted to join Vasco, it was impossible at this time – while still under contract in N17.

 

It would be naïve to say that Richarlison has handled the situation perfectly. He has made it abundantly clear that he wants to leave Tottenham, and his decision to explore terminating his contract through FIFA is a significant escalation. From the club’s perspective, there is a perfectly understandable argument that they should not simply release a player they paid around £52 million for, particularly when he still has a year left on his contract.

But it would be unfair to paint Richarlison as the villain of this story.

There was plenty of criticism directed towards the Brazilian when the proposed deal involving Iliman Ndiaye collapsed, with some Tottenham fans suggesting that Richarlison had deliberately sabotaged the move because he did not want to leave Spurs.

This is very difficult to believe. As far as I’m concerned, the only club he wanted to join was Vasco da Gama. When that move collapsed, he did not suddenly look like a player desperate to stay at Tottenham – he posted a video addressing Vasco supporters, explaining how much he wanted the move and saying that one day he would fulfil that dream.

That doesn't strike me as someone trying to engineer a move to another Premier League club at Tottenham's expense. It looks more like a player who has stubbornly made up his mind about the next chapter of his career, in his native Brazil with the club he supported as a boy.

If De Zerbi genuinely believes Richarlison is no longer committed to Tottenham, then leaving him out of the squad is understandable. Managers need players who are fully invested in what they are trying to build. But from Richarlison's perspective, being told that he is not part of the Premier League squad after failing to secure a move is a pretty difficult position to accept.

This is ultimately a situation where neither side looks entirely blameless. Perhaps the fairest outcome would have been for both parties to find a compromise before the transfer window closed. Instead, the situation has escalated to the point where a player who was Tottenham's top scorer last season is watching on from the outside while his club struggles to score.

Richarlison wanted Vasco, and Tottenham wanted some of the £52 million recouped. Neither got what they wanted, and now Spurs are paying the price on the pitch.