TEAMtalk

Tottenham Hotspur look set to be boosted by a key star’s return from injury against Everton this weekend, in a move that should fix a major issue that has blighted Roberto De Zerbi’s side in their opening three Premier League games.

Spurs remain winless and are yet to score a goal in the league, although there were some positives to come out of the goalless draw at Nottingham Forest on Saturday, not least of which was getting a first point of the season on the board.

While De Zerbi’s side looked far more solid defensively than they had in their opening two losses against Brentford and Newcastle, there was still a major lack of cutting edge in attack.

In fairness, a large reason behind those struggles in the final third has been the absence of playmaking talent like Xavi Simons, Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison, with the latter suffering a slight shoulder fracture as a substitute in that opening weekend defeat to the Bees.

Both Conor Gallagher and Mateus Fernandes have been utilised in the No.10 role, but that could change on Saturday when David Moyes’ men arrive in north London, with the Evening Standard reporting that hugely influential creator Maddison should return to take on the Toffees.

The England attacker missed almost the entirety of last season due to an ACL injury and there were fears his shoulder issue could keep him out for an extended spell too. However, The Standard states the 29-year-old, who has 16 goals and 21 assists in 79 games for Tottenham, should be available for selection again this weekend.

The former Leicester City star has been training since the end of last week and is expected to be in the matchday squad to take on Everton, although it’s unclear at this stage whether he will be considered fit enough to start a game that already feels like a must-win for De Zerbi.

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Tottenham still missing injured trio

Meanwhile, three more Tottenham attacking stars will remain on the sidelines for the Toffees clash, and the foreseeable future, when it comes to two of them anyway.

Dejan Kulusevski, who has spent almost 18 months on the sidelines with a serious patella injury, is not expected back on the pitch any time soon, despite recently making a return to first-team training.

Speaking about the Swede prior to the Forest clash, De Zerbi told reporters: “Kulusevski started [training] with us at the beginning of the week, and then the last two days, a small, small problem, stopped [him from training].

“But I think he’s in a good way. It’s going very well. I already said the medical staff is very high level.

“We can be positive with him. I’m looking forward to having Deki in the squad.”

As for Simons and Wilson Odobert, the pair are continuing to rehab their respective ACL issues.

Winger Odobert is expected to return to action before the end of the year, but Simons is still projected for an early 2027 comeback.

But having Maddison back in contention will be a huge boost to De Zerbi, who admitted after the game at the City Ground are lacking creativity and a clinical edge in the forward areas.

Real Madrid held off strong competition from the Premier League to secure the signing of Racing Santander starlet Sergio Martinez, with TEAMtalk able to reveal the extent of English interest in the teenage midfielder.

Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea owners BlueCo and Manchester City’s parent company City Football Group all showed interest in the Spanish youth international, with the clubs exploring the possibility of taking the highly-rated holding midfielder to England.

However, Real Madrid remained Martinez’s preferred destination and moved decisively before the transfer deadline, agreeing to pay his €3million (£2.6m / $3.5m) release clause to ensure they secured his signature ahead of their Premier League rivals.

Martinez has now joined Real Madrid Castilla, but his rapid integration into the club’s first-team environment shows the faith already being placed in him.

Jose Mourinho has since included the teenager in first-team duties, and he was named on the bench for the clash with Real Betis at the weekend.

We understand the Premier League interest was significant, with Arsenal and Spurs both monitoring Martinez while BlueCo and City Football Group also made moves to assess the possibility of a deal.

Ultimately, though, Madrid’s ability to satisfy the release clause and the player’s desire to join the Spanish giants saw them win the race.

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Real Madrid beat Premier League clubs to Spanish starlet

The 19-year-old’s move represents another statement of intent from Madrid in securing some of the best emerging talent.

Martinez’s presence around the first team so soon after arriving from Racing also suggests they see a clear pathway for him to develop into a senior player.

For the English clubs involved, Martinez’s decision means they have missed out on a player they had identified as one of Spain’s promising young midfielders, with Real Madrid moving early enough to prevent any late competition from changing the outcome.

Standing at 6ft 2in, Martinez is an imposing and versatile midfielder who can play in multiple positions in the middle of the park.

He has the physical profile to contribute defensively while having the technical abilities to string together attacks and make things happen further forward.

Martinez has already made three appearances for Spain’s under-21s side and is considered one of the most exciting youngsters in his position.

Madrid have tied the teenager down to a long-term contract until 2030, so they will be in a strong negotiating position should any club show interest in him in the coming years.

But for now, Martinez is fully focused on succeeding for Madrid, and Mourinho may well hand him his first team debut in the near future.

Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are leading the Premier League interest in Dinamo Tbilisi wonderkid Tornike Kvaratskhelia, the younger brother of Paris Saint-Germain superstar Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, TEAMtalk understands.

Just 16 years old, Kvaratskhelia junior is already making significant strides with Dinamo’s first team and has attracted attention from some of Europe’s biggest clubs.

Like his older brother, Tornike is a winger and came through the academy at the Georgian giants.

Khvicha left Dinamo shortly after making his senior debut before beginning his journey through Russian football and eventually establishing himself among the elite in Europe.

Tornike is now following a remarkably similar path, having become a regular part of Dinamo’s senior squad over the past six months despite his tender age.

Comparisons between the double Champions League winner and his younger brother are inevitable, and TEAMtalk can now exclusively reveal that competition is heating up for 16-year-old Tornike, who is promising to follow in his famous brother’s footsteps…

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Bayern leading the race for Tornike Kvaratskhelia

However, the Premier League pair will need to be quick if they are to seal a deal. And understandably, they are not the first powerful club to take a keen interest in the teenager.

Indeed, his emergence has sparked a growing battle for his signature, with Bayern Munich already taking a close look at the teenager and emerging as front-runners to land him.

TEAMtalk sources confirm that Kvaratskhelia spent time training with the German giants earlier this summer and Bayern remain keen to pursue a deal for him.

However, we can reveal that the Premier League’s biggest clubs are also monitoring his development closely.

Chelsea and Tottenham have been at the forefront of the English interest, while Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Brighton and Aston Villa have also made contact regarding a potential move.

Arsenal and Newcastle are also fully aware of Kvaratskhelia’s situation, intriguingly both clubs having recently stepped up their recruitment of emerging Georgian talent.

Arsenal have secured a deal for 17-year-old Georgia international Andria Bartishvili, while Newcastle recently captured Vakhtang Salia from Dinamo Tbilisi, the former teammate of Kvaratskhelia junior.

Despite the level of interest, any English club hoping to sign Tornike will have to be patient.

Under the rules governing international transfers of minors, a move to England cannot take place until he turns 18 in 2028, meaning the battle for his future is likely to develop over the next two years rather than result in an immediate transfer.

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Spurs shelled an enormous £302million in the summer, and that’s before their move for Omar Marmoush becomes permanent. They currently don’t have an awful lot to show for their spend, with only two sides below them in the league, and on the exact same record as Aston Villa.

In the final days of the summer window, they also brought in Mykhailo Mudryk, with Roberto De Zerbi feeling he could get something out of the Chelsea winger following a lengthy suspension for alleged doping offences, which have since been dropped. De Zerbi hopes the time they spent time together at Shakhtar Donetsk can spark a revival for the Ukrainian in N17.

The winger played 16 minutes off the bench on Tottenham debut, in the 0-0 draw with Nottingham Forest.

Spurs have the option to sign him from their London rivals for £75million, and per Football Insider, he will be signed if he performs to the standard the club expect.

Insider Pete O’Rourke said: “It’s hard to judge Mudryk right now, because he has been out of football for two years. It will take him a while to get up to speed, but if he does well and Tottenham do well with Mudryk in the team performing and producing, then there is a possibility that he could join on a permanent basis.

“The option is there, but there is a hefty price tag on his head, so let’s wait and see. A lot will depend on the player, and a lot will depend on how Tottenham do as well.”

Roberto De Zerbi does not feel Mykhailo Mudryk is ready

That said, it might take Mudryk a while to get up to speed. He did not look good when he played for Chelsea in pre-season and Tottenham boss De Zerbi has admitted after his debut that the winger isn’t up to speed yet.

He said: “He’s not ready yet. He’s working to reach the best physical condition.

“He needs time, he needs work. In that position, we have Mathys Tel, big potential.

“But also Mathys takes too many wrong decisions, and Mudryk.”

Tel started the match against Forest but did little, before Mudryk came on. De Zerbi feels Marmoush is the club’s best chance of scoring goals, though they’re yet to do so in the Premier League after three games.

The Spurs boss said: “But anyway, if we want to score, I think Marmoush has 15 goals.”

Blackburn Rovers rebuffed late interest from a number of Premier League clubs, including Chelsea, in defensive starlet Tom Atcheson, TEAMtalk understands.

Atcheson is rapidly emerging as one of the finest young defensive prospects outside the Premier League and has attracted significant attention from clubs at the top of the English game.

We previously revealed that Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur had been keeping a close eye on the teenager, with Blackburn moving to secure his future by handing him a new contract at Ewood Park.

However, that agreement did not stop the interest in the 19-year-old, who was the subject of multiple approaches before the transfer deadline.

We can confirm that Chelsea were among the clubs to make an approach for Atcheson, with BlueCo exploring the possibility of bringing the highly-rated centre-back into their wider group.

Blackburn, though, were not prepared to entertain the interest and resisted Chelsea’s approach as they made clear their determination to retain their prized defensive prospect.

We understand Manchester City, Liverpool, Newcastle United, Sunderland and Crystal Palace also made enquiries regarding Atcheson before the deadline, underlining the level of interest that has developed around the Northern Ireland international.

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Blackburn stand firm on Atcheson as Chelsea join race

Atcheson made his senior Northern Ireland debut earlier this year, adding international experience to a rapid rise at club level.

Atcheson has established himself as one of the most closely watched young defenders outside the top flight, with his performances for Blackburn attracting attention from clubs who see him as a potential long-term Premier League player.

His emergence is particularly significant for Rovers, who regard him as their best young prospect since Adam Wharton came through at Ewood Park before securing his move to Crystal Palace.

Wharton’s development and subsequent transfer to Palace has provided a clear indication of the level Atcheson could eventually reach, but Blackburn have no desire to accelerate his departure.

The new contract was viewed as an important step in protecting the club’s position, and the fact that Rovers subsequently rejected multiple approaches demonstrates how highly they value the teenager.

Chelsea’s interest is another indication of the quality of Atcheson’s potential, with BlueCo continuing to monitor emerging talent and looking to secure players who could develop into first-team assets.

Manchester City and Liverpool are also understood to have retained an interest, while Newcastle, Sunderland and Palace have all made enquiries as Premier League clubs assess the defender’s development.

As mentioned, Man Utd and Tottenham have previously been among the clubs watching Atcheson closely, meaning the teenager is now firmly on the radar of a significant number of top-flight sides.

For Blackburn, however, the immediate priority is keeping control of his development.

The club believe Atcheson has the potential to become a major player and were unwilling to sacrifice that development for a late-window transfer, regardless of the calibre of clubs showing interest.

Suggestions that a sulking Roberto De Zerbi could walk out on Tottenham Hotspur if his side doesn’t make rapid improvements have been barged aside by the Italian, while pundit Danny Murphy has revealed the major thing missing that has prevented their expensively assembled side from clicking so far.

The north London side decided enough was enough after successive 17th-place finishes in the Premier League by splashing out some serious transfer fees this summer.

Showing ambition and purpose, Spurs rebuilt their midfield with the £185m double capture of Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes, while also bringing in defender Jan Paul van Hecke and winger Savio in big-money deals too.

With Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi, Omar Marmoush and (on deadline day) Mykhailo Mudryk also joining the club, it was a summer of major change in N17.

However, despite that £300m-plus summer investment, the club currently finds itself in the all-too-familiar position of 17th once again in the embryonic Premier League table.

Having failed to score a goal from their three games so far, and having a goal difference of minus five, they at least managed to pick up their first point of the season on Saturday, courtesy of a battling 0-0 draw at Nottingham Forest.

Still, that is not where Spurs want or expected to be, and a series of sorry-looking press conferences in recent days has drawn comparisons to the Italian’s latter days with his previous club, Marseille, which ultimately led to him walking out on the French club after just 18 months in charge.

Speaking after the previous weekend’s 2-0 home loss to Newcastle, De Zerbi set pulses racing by stating: “This group with me or with another coach, nothing changed because these players are too good.”

Despite that, De Zerbi, who is tied to a lucrative five-year deal with Spurs, does not sound like a man who plans to walk away, and he insists he always knew it would take time for his new team to gel…

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De Zerbi insists Tottenham project will take time

Tottenham are next in action when they host Everton on Saturday evening, and De Zerbi will hope to build on his win percentage record with Spurs, which currently reads just 36.36% – just four wins from his 11 games in charge so far.

“We bought very, very good players but you can’t just build the team with the names like in Football Manager,” he told Sky Sports.

“We are disappointed with the result, but very happy with the performance. Considering we started to work together last Thursday for the first time, for the first day.

“We have to improve in every part of football, organisation with and without the ball. Even today, I thought we defended very well.

“We have to work because I think we played very well with the ball; we found the solution. I think we can be much better in the final third.”

De Zerbi insists he can also see the positives with his side, but acknowledges there are aspects of their play which need improvements.

“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 Marmoush shot, we had Robertson overlapping. If we take the right decision and if we play with Robertson on the second post, there is 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.”

Murphy expects Spurs relationships to build

Reflecting on the draw, former Spurs midfielder Danny Murphy says he always expected it to take time for their expensively assembled side to really hit the straps.

“When Spurs did get in really good areas, they just rushed it and shot when they maybe should’ve passed,” he told BBC Sport.

“They made the wrong choice on pullbacks or crosses when they’re getting in wide areas, taking men on one too many times when they’ve already got the space.

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“They were just missing that little bit of calmness and composure that you expect from top quality players.

“It takes time for some players [to find chemistry]. You could argue that Marmoush and Savio know each other anyway,ay and bright footballers quickly learn each other’s runs and movements.

“From a midfielder to a forward’s perspective, you’re not always sure what they’re going to do. Whereas if you played with someone for a while, it comes more naturally. So those relationships will build.”

Iliman Ndiaye has been explaining in detail why he snubbed the chance to join Tottenham Hotspur this summer in favour of a late summer transfer window switch to Manchester City instead, and it’s not good reading for the north London outfit.

The Senegal international states that he is ready to prove that he belongs in the top tier of players after completing a £65million switch to The Etihad in the final hours of the window.

With Savio and Omar Marmoush heading to Tottenham, Man City needed extra reinforcements up front after Liverpool also decided against selling Cody Gakpo, prompting a hijack of Spurs’ bid to secure Ndiaye.

The winger’s decision to make a U-turn on moving to north London came as a crushing blow to Roberto De Zerbi, who wanted Ndiaye to take up the problematic left-sided attacking role in his side opposite Savio.

And now Ndiaye has spoken about the decision to head to City and ultimately get what he had always wanted.

“My week has been good,” he said after making his debut in a 1-0 win over Coventry.

“There was no stress or no panicking. I always say whatever comes, comes. God decides your future, it’s already written. I was just being patient and when City came through I was buzzing.

“This is where I think I belong. I’ve worked hard to get to this point.

“When I was speaking with my wife I was telling her if I had to leave Everton it would be somewhere where I know I would be playing Champions League.

“For me it was always going to be City. I wanted Champions League and playing at one of the best teams in the world.

“I’m not saying Tottenham is not but when Manchester City comes through you don’t say no.

“It’s been a good week for me and topped off with a win today.”

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Ndiaye told he ‘needs to learn’ after City debut

Meanwhile, City boss Enzo Maresca was not exactly glowing when it came to evaluating Ndiaye’s debut in the win over Frank Lampard’s plucky Coventry side.

Speaking about the club’s new signings, including midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Ayyoub Bouaddi, Maresca said: “I think we had Enzo and Iliman first game with us and then Ayyoub [Bouaddi] and Ryan McAidoo first game in front of our fans.

“That’s why for many reasons I’m happy with today’s win. I think they were all good but Ili just had two sessions with us, he needs to understand how to move.

“Most of the time he was moving in the wrong way, wrong direction but he needs to learn and for sure he’s going to learn.

“When (Marc) Guehi has the ball he was dropping a lot, and we don’t need that. We need him in the last third so he can be higher, that space was more for Josko Gvardiol to go there.

“It’s the same on this [right] side. Sometimes when Khusa[nov] has the ball Antoine [Semenyo] was dropping but he has to stretch.

“That space was for Enzo [Fernandez] but again in time they are going to learn the way we want to play.”

As for Tottenham, at least they managed to secure their first point of the season at Nottingham Forest on Saturday, although those left-wing issues Ndiaye could have solved cropped up again after De Zerbi criticised the performance of the completely ineffective Mathys Tel.

Spurs are back in action when they host Everton in the Premier League on Saturday evening, while Ndiaye is set to make his Champions League debut for City when they head to Porto on Tuesday night.

A shock new report has revealed how Arsenal would have turned to two Tottenham Hotspur stars if they had failed in their efforts to bring Ezri Konsa to The Emirates this summer.

The Gunners added five new additions over the course of the summer window, with Konsa arriving alongside Bruno Guimaraes, Piero Hincapie, Christos Tzolis and Illan Meslier.

While Arsenal also pushed for one more high-profile attacking signing, missing out on the likes of Morgan Rogers and Vinicius Junior after allowing Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli, they ultimately came up short.

And now BBC Sport‘s Sami Mokbel has revealed that Emirates transfer chiefs had drawn up a shortlist containing more than 20 players at the start of the window, including Rogers, Vinicius and Chelsea striker Joao Pedro.

Defensively, Mokbel adds that the Gunners were also monitoring Sassuolo’s Tarik Muharemovic, Como’s Jacobo Ramon and Konsa, who eventually signed in a £51million deal from Aston Villa.

It’s claimed Tottenham centre-backs Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven had also been identified amongst Arsenal’s top targets, in the event they failed to land Konsa.

However, the report underlines that Spurs would have immediately rebuffed any approaches from their bitter rivals for the duo, with Sol Campbell famously the last player to make the controversial move back in 2001.

Romero ended up leaving for Atletico Madrid in a £34m deal, while Van de Ven has since signed a fresh five-year deal in the white half of north London and is the club’s new captain.

As for Konsa, he has played just 11 minutes of action for Arsenal to date, ironically against his old club Villa in a 1-0 win for Arteta’s side on August 31.

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No Arsenal transfer regrets for Arteta

Despite Arsenal’s failure to bring in a left-sided attacker or striker on deadline day, Arteta insisted he was satisfied with the club’s overall business in the transfer market.

“Yeah, 100 per cent,” the Arsenal head coach told reporters on Friday when speaking ahead of Sunday’s clash with Chelsea.

“The outcome after can be different to what you expect but the intention is certainly there which is in my opinion what I value the most.

“It doesn’t depend on you only. I think Andrea [Berta, sporting director] is better, or Josh [Kronke, co-chariman], to talk about that [how hard those deals are to do], because I am not in those negotiations.

“They know much better than me. These are questions that are related to the market and all aspects that I think it is better they speak about it.”

Arteta, meanwhile, also commented on why the price of some players has skyrocketed this summer, adding: “I’m sure that when this happens, it is because there has been an analysis behind it that this is going to be sustainable and other resources will appear, or the valuation of every player will be then much higher and it will be done in a sustainable way.

“But again, that is something for the Premier League and the owners to look at and evaluate.”

Roberto De Zerbi has opened up on his decision to leave Mateus Fernandes out of his Tottenham starting XI against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, while also taking an attacking star to task over his poor performance at the City Ground.

Spurs chalked up their first point of the season at the third attempt after a 0-0 draw at Forest, although they remain without a Premier League goal and still sit in the bottom three as it stands.

Having spent big money over the summer to improve an under-performing squad, De Zerbi decided to shuffle his pack again at the City Ground, with Savio, Destiny Udogie and Conor Gallagher all handed starts.

Gallagher’s involvement meant that £85million summer signing Fernandes started the game on the bench, despite playing in the No.10 role in the first two Premier League outings.

The versatile Portugal midfielder was surprisingly not even called into action until the 83rd minute, leaving him with very little time to make an impact.

And speaking after the game, De Zerbi opened up on his decision to drop Fernandes down to the bench.

Speaking to football.london, he said: “I have experience to know enough what is this stadium. This stadium is England football and Gallagher he knows better this type of game.

“Mateus will become for sure in my time at Tottenham one of the best players but I am lucky because I have many good players and I have to find the right first XI.”

Meanwhile, one player who came in for public criticism from the normally outspoken De Zerbi after the match was winger Mathys Tel.

The French attacker had an afternoon to forget at Forest, completing just one of his five attempted dribbles and was eventually hauled off in the 74th-minute.

And speaking after the game, while also referencing Mykhailo Mudryk’s fitness, after he came on as a sub, De Zerbi said: “He’s [Mudryk] not ready yet. He’s working to reach the best physical condition. He needs time, he needs work.

“In that position, we have Mathys Tel, big potential. But also Mathys takes too many wrong decisions, and Mudryk. So, two big players, two big potential players.”

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De Zerbi sees good signs for Tottenham

As for his team’s display at the City Ground, De Zerbi viewed it very much as one step forward, after the back-to-back defeats to open the new Premier League campaign.

Indeed, the Italian said: “In terms of performance I am very, very proud. I’m delighted to watch my players fight like this. We didn’t concede risk to concede goals.

“We are working now, because we started last Thursday, very happy for the spirit, the attitude, the behaviour of the players. The players who played 90 minutes, 70 minutes, 20 minutes, 10 minutes. This is our way, great qualities of the players. The human level of the dressing is great, now we have to work and improve in all levels of the football.

“Our mood is to win, to win, to win. But I think we have to stay calm to keep the confidence in ourselves. Then I think we have the players good enough to score many goals like [Dominic] Solanke, Savio, [Omar] Marmoush.”

On if he has everything he needs for success at the club, De Zerbi added: “I’m very happy for the transfer market, I think the club, the sporting director and the CEO worked it very, very well with ambition and clear ideas.

“Now we have to work because in football you cannot ask for time but without time you can do nothing.”

Tottenham Hotspur are working with Richarlison’s camp and intermediaries to find the forward a new club after his proposed move to Trabzonspor collapsed before the Turkish transfer deadline, TEAMtalk can exclusively reveal.

Richarlison had agreed terms with Trabzonspor and was open to the prospect of moving to Turkey, with the club’s high-profile summer recruits Mohamed Salah and Fabinho having both spoken to the Brazilian about joining them.

However, the transfer could not be completed because Trabzonspor did not have room for another foreign player after adding Midtjylland forward Franculino Dju earlier in the week and they did not manage to move another on beforte the window slammed shut.

Now, we understand that intermediaries are working hard to find Richarlison an alternative route out of Tottenham, with talks ongoing over potential moves and three avenues currently being explored.

The most active option is the Saudi Pro League, where the transfer window remains open until October. We are told there is interest from a number of clubs in the Middle East and discussions are taking place over a possible deal.

Talks have also been held regarding moves to Brazil and Portugal, with Richarlison’s representatives exploring opportunities in both countries as they attempt to find a solution for the 29-year-old.

A move to either Brazil or Portugal, however, would require Tottenham to agree to a loan deal or reach an agreement over the final year of Richarlison’s contract.

The Brazilian transfer window closes next Friday, while clubs in Portugal can continue to sign players until September 15, giving intermediaries more time to put a deal together.

Richarlison has not been included in Tottenham’s squad for the upcoming season, meaning his future is becoming increasingly urgent for both player and club…

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Saudi move looks most likely for Richarlison

Should a move not be secured, Richarlison would face the prospect of training with Tottenham’s youth squads rather than being part of Roberto De Zerbi’s first-team plans.

Neither Tottenham nor the player want that scenario to materialise, and sources have confirmed that significant work is now taking place behind the scenes to avoid it.

Richarlison joined Tottenham from Everton in 2022 and has since struggled to establish himself consistently in north London, with injuries and competition for places limiting his impact.

The proposed Trabzonspor move appeared to offer a solution, particularly after Richarlison agreed personal terms and received encouragement from the Turkish club’s new arrivals, but the foreign-player restriction ultimately brought the deal to an end.

That has left Tottenham and Richarlison’s camp scrambling for another destination, with Saudi Arabia currently providing the most active avenue.

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Brazil and Portugal remain possibilities, but both would require Tottenham to find a financial agreement over either a loan or the final year of the player’s contract.

Sources have told TEAMtalk that the expectation remains that Richarlison will likely secure a move, with Saudi Arabia, Portugal or his native Brazil the three destinations currently being pursued.

Tottenham are therefore continuing to work alongside intermediaries to find a solution, with the club keen to avoid being left with a high-profile player who is outside their first-team plans and Richarlison equally determined to ensure his next move provides him with the opportunity to play regularly.