TEAMtalk

Whether Tottenham will give Roberto De Zerbi time before sacking him has been revealed amid the “early problems” he has faced this season.

De Zerbi helped Spurs escape Premier League relegation last season. But after escaping the drop and spending big – over £300million – this summer, they have one point after three league games.

Only Fulham and Coventry have a worse record than Tottenham.

And though we’re only three games into the new league season, there are inevitable whispers of a sacking, though not coming from near the club themselves.

In response to questions on that, insider Pete O’Rourke has told Football Insider De Zerbi will be given time.

He said: “He’s definitely got time on his side, De Zerbi, for what he did last year when he came in at the end of last season.

“He rescued the club and made sure they didn’t suffer the ignominy of Premier League relegation as well. So I think we can’t forget that

“He did a good job in the short-term to keep Spurs up, and now the club have invested heavily in the summer to reshape the squad, so it will take time for these players to bed in.

“They have to get used to their new surroundings to perform at the highest level, and Tottenham are willing to give them time and give De Zerbi time for that to happen despite these early problems.”

Roberto De Zerbi feels Tottenham are progressing

De Zerbi got hearts racing when he suggested Tottenham would have success “with me or with another coach.”

But it doesn’t seem he’ll let anyone take his place, stating after a draw with Nottingham Forest that he feels there’s progress being made in north London.

He said: “I think we played well; in the last third we have to improve; we have to take better decisions, maybe keep calmer when we are close to doing something important.

“The chance when [Omar] Marmoush shot, we had [Andy] Robertson overlapping. If we take the right decision and if we play with Robertson on the second post, there is [Mohammed] Kudus to score.

“I am very happy with the spirit, with the organisation; their style of play is very clear: long ball and second ball, even the second ball we won many duels. They are good players.

“Taking a point in this stadium is not so easy. We are not happy because we didn’t win, but this is the right spirit and the right way to move on in this moment.”

Tottenham are said to have made an approach for a Brazilian centre-back, with another one coming, as the selling club have named their price.

Spurs have what should be an impressive centre-back corps. Alongside Micky van de Ven, who was already at the club prior to this summer, they added Jan Paul van Hecke and Marcos Senesi to the group.

But after their first two Premier League games of the season, they had shipped five goals.

While they were more solid against Nottingham Forest in their last game, which they drew 0-0, there is interest in more talent in the heart of the defence.

ge.globo reports Tottenham made an offer of €21million (£18m) for Athletico Paranaense’s 19-year-old defender Arthur Dias in the summer, for ’80 per cent of his economic rights.’ It’s not clear exactly what that means.

In any case, it’s said the Brazilian club ‘promptly rejected’ that offer and want €30million (£25.7m) for their defender’s services.

Further to that, it’s said Spurs ‘have promised new approaches in the near future’ for a player they’ve been following for some time.

They have previously sent representatives to watch Dias in action, and there’s a feeling he could become ‘one of the best of his generation.’

Carlo Ancelotti likes Arthur Dias

That’s a stance that’s seemingly shared by Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti.

Indeed, it’s said his praise has reached the national team boss, and the coaching staff have sought more information about the 19-year-old.

The 6ft 2in centre-back has played 11 times for Brazil’s under-20s side, winning the South American championship with them.

There’s a feeling Dias will soon be part of a senior international squad.

Should that happen, he’s likely to have even more eyes on him, and Tottenham could be part of a crowded pursuit.

David Moyes has confirmed that Jack Grealish is ready to start against Tottenham Hotspur this weekend, while also providing an update on Everton’s search for free agent signings.

The Toffees have got off to a positive start this season, despite them being short on numbers in several key areas after a disappointing end to the transfer window.

They are unbeaten across all competitions after beating Crystal Palace 2-0 on the opening day, thrashing Preston 4-0 in the Carabao Cup, a hard-fought 1-1 draw away at Bournemouth, and a dramatic 2-2 draw with Manchester United at home last Sunday.

It was in the match against United when Grealish made his first appearance since re-joining Everton. He came off the bench in the 65th minute and put in a positive performance, helping Everton rally to find two goals in the 83rd and 96th minutes.

There have been questions over Grealish’s readiness to start against Spurs this weekend.

He missed the second half of last season with a fractured foot, and made just two appearances off the bench for Man City this term before re-joining Everton on loan.

However, Moyes has said in his pre-match press conference that Grealish has had a good week of training, suggesting he looks set to be named in his starting XI this weekend.

“I think Jack is ready to play. I think he is a boy who needs a football more than training,” Moyes said, as quoted by The Liverpool Echo.

Moyes also said the prospect of Grealish repeating last season’s form is “incredibly exciting”.

The news on the injury front is not all good for Everton, however.

Summer signing Christian Norgaard, who joined from Arsenal, remains sidelined with an injury, and Moyes admits it is taking the 32-year-old longer than expected to regain fitness.

The Echo notes that the hope is that Norgaard will be available after the coming international break.

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Everton reluctant to make free agent signings

Moyes also confirmed that Everton continue to look at the free agent market.

TEAMtalk understands that 33-year-old striker Mauro Icardi, formerly of Galatasaray, Inter Milan and PSG, would be interested in joining Everton.

The Toffees are certainly in need of a new forward. After selling Beto to Fiorentina, and a deadline day move for Monaco’s Folarin Balogun collapsing, Thierno Barry is currently the club’s only recognised striker.

However, Moyes suggested in his press conference that Everton may, in fact, have to deal with what they’ve got until the January transfer window.

The manager raised questions about whether the players available in the free agent market, like Icardi, are good enough or fit enough to make a difference.

With this in mind, it appears likely that Everton will have to wait until January to bring in a new forward.

Richarlison is facing a dramatic Brazilian deadline-day decision after Vasco da Gama made a €20million offer to enham for the striker, with the player keen on a return home but pushing for a short-term solution, TEAMtalk understands.

Vasco are ready to take Richarlison permanently, but we can reveal the 29-year-old would prefer a move until January before reassessing his future, leaving a race against time to find an agreement, with the transfer window in Brazil closing later today.

Tottenham want to accept Vasco’s €20million (£17.2m / $23.2m) package and are now waiting on Richarlison, with the club keen to resolve the situation after leaving him out of their Premier League squad.

That omission means Richarlison cannot play for Spurs in England until January at the earliest. His current predicament came after he rejected the chance to rejoin former club Everton, while a proposed move to Trabzonspor collapsed on Turkish deadline day last week.

Vasco, who have been exploring a number of high-profile targets including Raheem Sterling, have now turned their attention to Richarlison and are pushing to complete the deal before the Brazilian deadline.

The move would represent Richarlison’s return to Brazilian football for the first time since he left Fluminense in 2017 to join Watford and begin his career in England.

We understand Richarlison is keen to return home and would be prepared to accept Vasco’s proposal. However, his preference is for a short-term arrangement through to January rather than committing to the long-term contract Vasco currently want.

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Tottenham ready to accept Richarlison offer

A short-term deal would mean Richarlison could reassess his options in January, with a move to Turkey or the Saudi Pro League potentially still available to him.

As TEAMtalk revealed on Thursday, Richarlison’s camp have also been investigating whether there is a route to FIFA to cancel his Tottenham contract.

His representatives have looked at the case of Renan Lodi, who successfully cancelled his contract with Al-Hilal last year after being left out of their squad, and are assessing whether Richarlison could potentially pursue a similar route.

Tottenham, however, are not willing to cancel the remaining nine months of his current contract. Spurs have also pointed out that they hold an option which could extend his deal until 2028, allowing them to retain his registration and preserve his potential transfer value.

The club therefore want to accept Vasco’s offer and see a permanent transfer as the preferred outcome, but the structure of the deal remains the major stumbling block.

Vasco have made their move, Tottenham are ready to do business and Richarlison is keen on the destination.

The remaining issue is whether the two sides can find a structure the player is willing to accept before the Brazilian deadline closes.

Richarlison has reportedly ‘backed away’ from his attempts to to rip up his Tottenham contract, but a transfer to Vasco Da Gama remains a possibility ahead of tomorrow’s Brazilian deadline.

The 29-year-old was left out of Spurs’ Premier League squad after turning down a return to Everton during the English transfer window, and that decision infuriated Roberto De Zerbi’s side.

Terms were all but in place for Richarlison to return to his former club, with Tottenham keen to move him on after making it clear he was no longer part of their plans and with De Zerbi having sanctioned the move.

But Richarlison decided he didn’t want to go, and he is now paying the price, with his omission from the Premier League squad meaning he cannot play in the competition until January at the earliest.

TEAMtalk has reported how the forward has ‘consulted his lawyers’ over a potential move to terminate his contract and leave the club for free.

However, fresh reports cited by Sport Witness suggest that Richarlison may have made a U-turn.

It’s claimed that Richarlison ‘won’t pursue unilateral termination’, but he is still keen to leave, with Brazilian club Vasco his most likely destination.

Vasco are said to have made a bid of €10million (£8.6m / $11.6m) for Richarlison. Spurs, however, have deemed that too low and are holding out for €20million.

Vasco would reportedly be more inclined to match that valuation if Tottenham allow them to pay the fee over several years.

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Conflicting Richarlison reports as deadline nears

Sport Witness also cite other reports which say that a formal bid has not in fact been made by Vasco, but that they have been in regular contact with him and his representatives.

What’s clear, is that Tottenham are running out of time to recoup a fee for Richarlison this summer.

As mentioned, Vasco have until tomorrow, when Brazil’s transfer window closes, to negotiate a fee for the Tottenham man.

Should they fail to get a deal over the line Richarlison could be left stranded at Tottenham until January and unable to play in the Premier League.

If that were to happen, Richarlison may indeed revisit the possibility of cancelling his contract.

Fabrizio Romano has reported that Tottenham Hotspur winger Mykhailo Mudryk has suffered an injury and has outlined how long the Chelsea-owned player will be on the sidelines.

Mudryk joined Tottenham on loan from Chelsea in the summer transfer window, with the north London club having the option to make the deal permanent for £75million.

The Ukrainian winger worked with Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi at Shakhtar Donetsk.

The 25-year-old made his debut for Tottenham against Nottingham Forest away from home at the City Ground last weekend.

Mudryk came on as a substitute for Mathys Tel in the 74th minute in what was his first football game in nearly two years.

The match finished in a goalless draw, with De Zerbi backing the Ukrainian winger to build on his performance.

The Tottenham boss said: “He’s not ready yet.

“He’s working to reach the best physical condition.

“He needs time, he needs work.”

Tottenham will return to action on Saturday when they face Everton at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the Premier League.

The north London club have been preparing for the game, and it has emerged that Mudryk has suffered an ankle injury in training and will not be back in action until after the international break.

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Mykhailo Mudryk suffers ankle injury in Tottenham training

Trusted journalist Romano wrote on X at 6:41pm on September 9: “Mykhaylo Mudryk has suffered an injury and will be sidelined for 6-8 weeks from now.

“Tottenham signed Mudryk from Chelsea on Deadline Day, deal on loan with £75m buy option clause not mandatory.”

BBC Sport has reported that Mudryk ‘is set for around six to eight weeks on the sidelines after injuring an ankle in training.

The report added that the Chelsea-owned winger suffered the injury on Monday and ‘is currently believed to be in protective boot’.

Journalist Ben Jacobs noted on X at 6:49pm: “Mykhailo Mudryk is out until after the international break after suffering an ankle injury in training.

“Earliest return date expected to be mid-October.”

Paul Scholes believes that Mateus Fernandes will fail at Tottenham Hotspur, with the former Manchester United midfielder also sharing his thoughts on James Maddison.

Fernandes was one of the major signings for Tottenham in the summer transfer window.

Tottenham paid West Ham United as much as £85million for Fernandes.

There was interest from Man Utd in the Portugal international midfielder, too, but in the end, it was Roberto De Zerbi’s side that secured the services of the 22-year-old.

Former Man Utd midfielder Scholes has given his verdict on whether Fernandes will be a success at Spurs, with his ex-Old Trafford teammate Nicky Butt also of the same opinion.

Paul Scholes tips Mateus Fernandes to fail at Tottenham

Scholes said on The Good, The Bad and The Football when asked whether Fernandes to Tottenham will be a hit or a miss: “I think I am going to say miss with this one.

“Do you know what?

“I have not seen an awful lot of him, so I am guessing a little bit.

“I don’t think, as I have not seen his name in the first few weeks of the season, and I think he did get actually relegated the last two years.

“I am not saying that’s his fault, but he was part of Southampton.

“Yeah, I think he was part of Southampton and West Ham.

“So, twice in two years he has been relegated.

“I am going to say miss on that one.”

Scholes’ former Man Utd teammate Nicky Butt replied: “I think he’s a fantastic player.

“I think he’s very talented.

“At West Ham, when I watched the game live, I thought, ‘Wow, this boy is a real top, top player’.

“I think the club that he’s in at the minute is just not a club that I would want to go in and play for at the minute.

“So, I would say miss.”

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Paul Scholes a fan of James Maddison

While Scholes does not seem to rate Fernandes, the former England international has said that he likes Tottenham attacking midfielder James Maddison.

When asked about Tottenham’s best signing in the summer transfer window, Butt said: “Tonali.”

Scholes quipped: “Well, there are a few good players. Marmoush, Savio.”

Butt continued: “And also, you remember, Maddison has come back from injury.

“He is a signing basically, it’s like a new signing.

“He will come back.

“They have got some top, top players, they really have.”

Scholes noted about Maddison: “I like him.

“He is a good footballer.

“He makes the team play good football, you know what I mean.

“They need to get him involved somehow.

“Tottenham is a very negative place at the minute, and it has been for two or three years.

“They have got to try, as Nicky said, if you get two or three wins put together, then all of a sudden you are off and running.

“I think they will be fine.”

Tottenham are still trying to find a way to sell Richarlison this summer and the manager of Brazilian side Vasco Da Gama has spoken out on the forward’s links to his club.

The Brazilian transfer window remains open until Friday, meaning one of Richarlison’s few remaining options this summer is to move to his home country.

The 29-year-old came close to re-joining Everton ahead of the English deadline, but that deal ultimately didn’t come to fruition despite him making it clear on social media that he was keen to leave Spurs.

Richarlison then agreed terms with Trabzonspor and was open to the prospect of moving to Turkey. However, the transfer could not be completed because Trabzonspor did not have room for another foreign player and failed to move anyone on.

TEAMtalk revealed over the weekend that Tottenham are working with Richarlison’s camp and intermediaries to find the forward a new club.

Richarlison has since been linked with a move to Vasco Da Gama, and manager Pedro Emanuel has said he is a player he ‘respects greatly’, suggesting there could be some truth to the reported interest.

“I think my silence says it all,” he said. “I work with the players who are here; he is a player I respect greatly, a player everyone know, but they aren’t here and I don’t feel I have the right to comment on something that isn’t part of our day-to-day lives, of my reality.

“I’m sorry I can’t answer, but that’s all I can say at the moment.”

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Club chief ‘leading’ Richarlison talks with Tottenham

According to a report from Brazilian outlet O Globo, as cited by Sport Witness, Vasco do consider it ‘viable’ to sign Richarlison.

Vasco president, Pedrinho, is said to be ‘leading the talks’ with Tottenham. They have made an ‘offer’ and will ‘will wait until Thursday for their response to finalise the operation.’

There’s no mention of the fee proposed, and O Globo states: “It’s considered feasible and reasonable. Vasco are counting on the English club’s lack of options to negotiate for the striker in the final stages of the transfer window.”

Everton had agreed on a deal worth £35million in principle to re-sign Richarlison, but that was when Tottenham were closing in on a deal for Iliman Ndiaye worth £60million. Ultimately, Richarlison stayed put and Ndiaye went to Man City instead.

Spurs are highly unlikely to recoup that £35million figure for Richarlison now, but they could green light a lower sale to Vasco.

They are clearly running out of time to secure a fee for a player who is not in Roberto De Zerbi’s plans.

Initially, Vasco were keen to sign Richarlison on loan rather than permanently, but a loan deal now reportedly looks unlikely.

Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur both had representatives in Belgium on Tuesday evening to watch Club Brugge striker Nicolo Tresoldi, TEAMtalk understands, with the German Under-21 international emerging as one of Europe’s most coveted young forwards.

Tresoldi featured against Aston Villa as Brugge suffered a 3-2 defeat, but the 22-year-old still made his mark by converting from the penalty spot.

United’s delegation also used the trip to continue their work on left-back Joaquin Seys, another Brugge player they enquired about during the summer.

We can confirm Tottenham were also in Belgium to carry out further work on Tresoldi, who remains high on their radar.

Spurs completed many of their preferred deals during the summer, but Roberto De Zerbi is keen to add another striker and the German could develop into a strong option for the club.

Tresoldi has rapidly established himself as one of the most exciting attacking prospects in Europe since moving from Hannover to Brugge.

He scored 23 goals last season, and his performances sparked considerable interest across the continent, with Barcelona among the clubs to hold talks over a potential move.

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Man Utd, Tottenham in the mix to sign Nicolo Tresoldi

Despite the interest over the summer, Tresoldi remained in Belgium and has continued to build his reputation at Brugge.

His form and age profile mean he is now being watched closely by Premier League clubs, with both United and Spurs taking the opportunity to assess him at first hand on Tuesday.

United failed to add a forward over the summer and continue to assess attacking options for the future.

Joshua Zirkzee’s future at Old Trafford remains in doubt after failing to force his way into Michael Carrick’s starting XI.

United’s position on the Dutchman remains the same – they won’t let him go without first signing a replacement. Tresoldi could be that player.

Tottenham’s interest, meanwhile, is being driven by De Zerbi’s desire for further competition and depth up front, something that has been further highlighted by the saga surrounding Richarlison, who hasn’t even been named in the club’s Premier League squad.

Tresoldi’s latest outing has therefore provided another opportunity for both clubs to gather information on a player who could yet become a serious target in the future.

If he continues his impressive form for Bruggle, it seems only a matter of time before Tresoldi makes a high-profile switch to one of Europe’s top sides.

Richarlison’s hopes of leaving Tottenham Hotspur appear to have suffered yet another devastating blow after one more exit route was taken off the table.

It became very apparent that the Brazilian frontman no longer has a future at the club, all the while Roberto De Zerbi is in charge anyway, after he was left out of the club’s Premier League squad following the close of the summer transfer window.

Tottenham had hoped to offload Richarlison back to Everton late in the window, with a separate deal for Iliman Ndiaye to head to north London also in the works, but both moves collapsed as the Toffees winger ended up at Manchester City and Spurs were left with an unhappy frontman kicking his heels.

After a proposed switch to Turkish side Trabzonspor also fell through, Richarlison’s exit options have been dwindling ever since.

The Portuguese window remains open until September 15, while clubs in the Saudi Pro League can still sign players up until October 12.

A return to Brazil has also been strongly mooted, with their window closing on September 11, but a proposed loan switch to Vasco da Gama is now unable to be completed.

It was reported that Richarlison had given the green light to joining Vasco, but now Brazilian news outlet ge.globo has revealed that Tottenham have communicated to the player that a loan move there would not be possible if he is to leave over the coming days.

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Tottenham reach loan exit limit to leave Richarlison hanging

The reason behind that is because Spurs have already reached the permitted limit of six players loaned to clubs in other countries.

The north London outfit currently have six players on loan outside of England, including Pape Matar Sarr (Juventus), Guglielmo Vicario (Juventus), Radu Dragusin (Fiorentina), Souza (Porto), Kota Takai (Sint‑Truiden) and Yang Min‑hyeok (KVC Westerlo).

FIFA rules do not allow for more than six players to be loaned outside of a federation, making it impossible for Tottenham chiefs to sanction a loan exit for Richarlison to his homeland.

That means the only way the 29-year-old can move on will be via a permanent transfer, with Richarlison currently having just a year remaining on his contract in north London.

Spurs had agreed a £35million fee with Everton for the attacker but could now see that price drop, with buying clubs knowing they are desperate to move Richarlison on.

Tottenham transfer chiefs have taken a gamble, however, given Dominic Solanke’s injury history and the fact that Omar Marmoush has only just arrived at the club on loan from Manchester City.

A clear falling out between De Zerbi and Richarlison has given them little choice, though, as the race to offload the Brazilian continues at pace.