Richarlison's Tottenham situation remains a mess with the striker considering legal options that could include ripping up his contract as the Brazilian transfer window edges towards its conclusion.
The 29-year-old is currently stuck in limbo at the north London club, having been left out of Roberto De Zerbi's 25-man squad for the Premier League so unable to play. Spurs could only name 17 non-homegrown players in the squad registered with the league, which cannot be changed until the next English transfer window.
De Zerbi told football.london that Richarlison has repeatedly asked to leave the club this summer, and the Italian duly selected Xavi Simons in his squad over the forward, despite the Dutchman facing further months out as he continues to undergo rehabilitation for the anterior cruciate ligament injury he suffered in April.
Richarlison and his camp are said to be exploring his legal options which could include lodging a request to terminate his contract after not being registered in Tottenham's Premier League squad, although there is an awareness that any such move would be difficult.
It comes amid links with the club he supported as a child - Vasco da Gama - before the Brazilian transfer window closes on Friday in his homeland.
The striker, who was Tottenham's top scorer last season and started their opening match at Brentford this season, has a contract until next summer, but the club have the option to add another year on top of that deal he signed back when he arrived in 2022 in a £60million transfer from Everton.
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He turned down a move back to his former club this summer as the finances were not right and was linked with a move to Trabzonspor that never materialised before the Turkish deadline.
Despite reports in his homeland that Richarlison has been placed with Spurs' U21s and De Zerbi appearing to suggest he was not training with his group ahead of Saturday's draw at Nottingham Forest, images from Tuesday have shown the striker has been training with the first team squad this week.
There are strict rules about 'bombing' players out of a squad nowadays which clubs are wary of after some high profile cases in recent years.
Richarlison could be in for a struggle to engineer a contract termination at this time early in the season. Article 15 of the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players, which explains when a player can end their contract early due to sporting just cause, states: "An established professional who has, in the course of the season, appeared in fewer than ten per cent of the official matches in which his club has been involved may terminate his contract prematurely on the ground of sporting just cause.
"Due consideration shall be given to the player’s circumstances in the appraisal of such cases. The existence of sporting just cause shall be established on a case-by-case basis. In such a case, sporting sanctions shall not be imposed, though compensation may be payable.
"A professional may only terminate his contract on this basis in the 15 days following the last official match of the season of the club with which he is registered."
Richarlison is said to prefer a temporary switch to Vasco until the winter but a loan move is off the table as Spurs have already reached their limit of six international loans out of the club.
Guglielmo Vicario, Pape Matar Sarr, Radu Dragusin, Souza, Kota Takai and Yang Min-hyeok all went out on loan this summer across Europe. The only exemptions allowed to the rule, under FIFA's regulations, are players aged 21 and under who are also club-trained, which means Mikey Moore's temporary switch to Koln does not count towards their limit.
That means Vasco, or any other Brazilian club, would need to sign Richarlison on a permanent basis to prise him away from north London. Official talks between Vasco and Tottenham over a transfer for the striker are understood to not currently be taking place and all eyes will now be on the remaining days of the Brazilian window.