Sports Mole

Richarlison is reportedly considering taking action to terminate his Tottenham Hotspur contract after being omitted from the club's Premier League squad and moved into the Under-21 setup.

The Brazil international remained in North London beyond the summer transfer deadline despite making it clear to head coach Roberto De Zerbi during pre-season that he would be open to leaving if a suitable opportunity emerged.

Everton and Trabzonspor subsequently showed interest, but neither avenue ultimately led to a transfer.

With Tottenham no longer planning to use the forward in their first team, Richarlison was left out of their Premier League registration and is now expected to remain with the Under-21s until the January transfer window.

According to Brazilian outlet ge, the 29-year-old could now seek the termination of his Tottenham contract in an attempt to become available for a move to Vasco da Gama.

How did Richarlison end up outside Tottenham's plans?

Richarlison's uncertain future has been developing since the beginning of pre-season.

The striker informed De Zerbi that his preference was to leave Tottenham, providing any potential move suited both himself and the club, while continuing to train normally in the meantime.

The situation subsequently became more public when De Zerbi said that Richarlison "sometimes wants to stay, sometimes wants to leave".

Richarlison later responded on social media, asking Tottenham to handle his situation with the same respect he believed he had shown the club.

"Just don't try to decide for me," the Brazilian wrote.

A potential return to Everton was discussed before the deadline, but Richarlison turned down the proposal that was presented to him.

Trabzonspor also emerged as an option, while a loan switch to Vasco could not be completed.

De Zerbi has stressed that the player's initial position was clear to him.

"Richarlison decided everything himself," the Tottenham boss said.

"He spoke to me at the beginning of pre-season and told me that his idea, his desire, was to leave. I can't say anything because I didn't decide anything.

"Richarlison's message from the beginning of pre-season was very clear and I accepted that.

"I know there was an offer before the end of the transfer window, from Everton, but he didn't accept that offer. For me, nothing changes."

© Iconsport / PA Images / Icon Sport

Could Richarlison now force a Tottenham exit?

The failure to secure a summer transfer has left Richarlison in a particularly difficult sporting position.

His omission from Tottenham's Premier League squad means he cannot feature in the competition during the current registration period, while his move into the Under-21 group further underlines his lack of a first-team role.

That represents a dramatic change for a player who remained important to Spurs last season.

Richarlison scored 11 goals and supplied four assists as Tottenham fought to preserve their Premier League status, having previously rejected opportunities to leave the club.

The next question is whether his situation can be resolved before January.

Ge reports that Richarlison is prepared to seek the termination of his contract through legal channels, which could potentially clear the way for him to join Vasco.

However, that outcome is not yet confirmed and there is no indication that an agreement has been reached between the player and Tottenham over ending his deal.

Unless the situation changes, Richarlison appears likely to spend the coming months outside De Zerbi's senior squad.

After a summer in which both the player and club appeared open to a separation, their failure to find an acceptable transfer has instead produced an increasingly complicated stand-off.

New Everton hero Ainsley Maitland-Niles could be promoted to the starting XI for Saturday's Premier League clash with Tottenham Hotspur in North London.

The former Arsenal man helped Toffees fans temporarily get over their transfer woes last weekend, rescuing a point in a 2-2 draw with Manchester United thanks to an injury-time wonder strike from 25 yards.

David Moyes still sided with Merlin Rohl at right-back from the first whistle against the Red Devils, but Maitland-Niles has made his case for a full debut in an otherwise unchanged defence.

The Englishman is also a candidate for a place in midfield, after James Garner was forced off with an apparent muscular injury in gameweek three, although some reports suggested he was merely suffering from cramp.

However, as Garner is supposedly still not 100%, Hayden Hackney - who supplied the assist for Tyrique George's strike against Man Utd - is in line to join Harrison Armstrong in the double pivot.

The aforementioned George should be a surefire starter on the right flank, as the unconvincing Brennan Johnson should make way for the returning Jack Grealish, set for his second full debut in Merseyside blue.

Holding the fort up front on his own for the time being, Thierno Barry should be guaranteed weekly Premier League starts for at least a few months, until Everton try to correct their summer mistakes in the January transfer window.

Everton possible starting lineup:

Pickford; Maitland-Niles, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Armstrong, Hackney; George, Dewsbury-Hall, Grealish; Barry

Tottenham Hotspur fans are anxiously awaiting James Maddison injury updates before Saturday's Premier League showdown with Everton at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The English playmaker has been absent for Spurs' last two matches with a shoulder injury, which he sustained in the opening 3-0 loss to Brentford, although he did resume training prior to the 0-0 draw with Nottingham Forest last weekend.

However, Maddison failed to make Roberto De Zerbi's squad at the City Ground, and a question mark is therefore still hanging over his head for the visit of the Toffees, which Dejan Kulusevski, Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert will all miss.

Mohammed Kudus is also building up his minutes gradually after several months out, while Mykhaylo Mudryk is out for a minimum of six weeks due to a new ankle injury, so De Zerbi is likely to persist with Savio and Mathys Tel out wide.

Mateus Fernandes will expect to displace Conor Gallagher amid criticism of the latter's lack of impact on the ball, though, while Omar Marmoush could be made to pay for wasted openings against Forest with a demotion to the bench in favour of Dominic Solanke.

De Zerbi has seemingly settled on a Sandro Tonali-Rodrigo Bentancur double pivot for the time being, while Jan Paul van Hecke and Micky van de Ven are also safe at centre-back, despite Tosin Adarabioyo's recent arrival.

Destiny Udogie lasted 61 minutes against Forest but was unable to make the desired impact going forward, so a swift recall for Andy Robertson could be on the cards.

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Kinsky; Porro, Van Hecke, Van de Ven, Robertson; Tonali, Bentancur; Savio, Fernandes, Tel; Solanke

Yet to win hosts yet to lose in Saturday's Premier League showdown in North London, where Tottenham Hotspur take on Everton in the 5.30pm kickoff.

Roberto De Zerbi's men belatedly posted their first point of the campaign in last weekend's 0-0 draw with Nottingham Forest, before the Toffees' absorbing 2-2 stalemate with Manchester United.

Match preview

Slow and painful progress has been evident in Spurs' opening three Premier League fixtures of the 2026-27 campaign, which began with nothing short of a nightmare at Brentford and has finally evolved into a point-worthy performance.

However, Tottenham failed to convert their 59% possession and 11 shots - none of which was on target - into the elusive Premier League goal, leaving De Zerbi's side on the brink of yet another unwanted first.

One of three teams yet to score in the 2026-27 Premier League alongside Aston Villa and Coventry City, Tottenham could fail to score in their opening four league matches for the first time ever, having never suffered that fate during the days of the First Division.

Tottenham are not complete strangers to a quartet of scoreless showings, having gone four Premier League matches without scoring almost exactly 20 years ago during the 2006-07 campaign, a sequence that included a 2-0 home defeat to Saturday's visitors.

Everton can now inflict Tottenham's 50th Premier League home defeat at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but the Lilywhites' only win - and clean sheet - in their last 12 top-flight home fixtures came against none other than Moyes's men.

© Iconsport / Every Second Media/Alamy

The Toffees' 1-0 reverse to Tottenham on the final day of the 2025-26 season triggered survival celebrations from those in white, but some on the blue half of Merseyside have now been fearing for their own team's perennial top-flight status after their recent transfer trauma.

However, even though Everton missed out on a new striker signing in the final hours of the market, deadline-day acquisition Ainsley Maitland-Niles came up with a better goal than many number nines will score in their career, salvaging a point from the jaws of defeat against Manchester United with an exquisite 25-yard strike.

Vilified CEO Angus Kinnear - who has faced numerous calls to resign in the wake of summer window failures - should have been the most relieved man in the Hill Dickinson Stadium last weekend, as Everton maintained their unbeaten start to the season, in the Premier League alone and across all tournaments.

Road trips have not been especially kind to Everton in recent months, though, as the visitors are winless in their last six league away games, requiring another stoppage-time equaliser from James Tarkowski to rescue a point at Bournemouth.

The Toffees have also lost five straight Premier League away games to Tottenham, and having gone down 4-0 on aggregate in last season's battles, Everton could lose three league matches in a row to Spurs without scoring for the first time in their history.

Tottenham Hotspur Premier League form:

Tottenham Hotspur form (all competitions):

Everton Premier League form:

Everton form (all competitions):

Team News

© Imago / Sportimage

Playmaking problems are still bedevilling Tottenham on and off the pitch, as despite returning to team training before the trip to the City Ground, James Maddison (shoulder) was not part of De Zerbi's matchday squad against Forest.

The Englishman therefore remains a sizeable doubt for Saturday at the time of writing, while Dejan Kulusevski, Wilson Odobert and Xavi Simons are all still on the mend from knee injuries.

Mykhaylo Mudryk's first competitive appearance in over 600 days was the main Tottenham team news headline against Forest, but the Ukrainian has now suffered a new setback; an ankle injury that will sideline him for between six and eight weeks.

On Everton's end, Maitland-Niles was given the chance to be the hero against Man United thanks to an injury to James Garner, who is reportedly not completely back to 100% just yet.

As a result, Hayden Hackney - who set up Tyrique George's leveller last weekend - could join Harrison Armstrong in the centre, with Maitland-Niles stepping in at right-back for auxiliary defender Merlin Rohl.

The returning Jack Grealish should also have his sights firmly set on Brennan Johnson's spot in the XI, and Moyes's only other fitness concern is Christian Norgaard, out until October.

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Kinsky; Porro, Van Hecke, Van de Ven, Robertson; Tonali, Bentancur; Savio, Fernandes, Tel; Solanke

Everton possible starting lineup:

Pickford; Maitland-Niles, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Armstrong, Hackney; George, Dewsbury-Hall, Grealish; Barry

We say: Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Everton

Maitland-Niles mayhem at least helped Everton fans temporarily forget about what happened over the summer, as did Grealish's bright second debut and Hackney's promising midfield cameo against Man United.

While Tottenham have been steadily going in the right direction and have our backing to get on the scoresheet - better late than never - an unbeaten, albeit depleted, Everton side should expect to take a point home.

Chelsea should be stripped of the 2016-17 Premier League title and it awarded to Tottenham Hotspur, claims Mauricio Pochettino.

The Argentine has spent time at both clubs, most notably with Spurs who he managed between 2014 and 2019.

In the 2016-17 campaign, Spurs finished runners-up to champions Chelsea by seven points as Antonio Conte made an immediate impact at Stamford Bridge.

However, Chelsea have been fined a combined £20.75m and given a suspended two-window transfer ban for multiple rule breaches between 2009 and 2022 during the Roman Abramovich era.

Several players signed that contributed to the 2016-17 title success arrived through unlicensed agents and payments made to them.

© Imago

Pochettino claims Chelsea should be stripped of 2016-17 Premier League title

In a long-ranging interview in London, Pochettino - who was Chelsea boss for the 2023-24 season - feels that it should be a simple decision to hand the title to Spurs.

He said: "We should win one Premier League, we should have been awarded it. If that was true, then we deserve to be champions that year, for sure. They were punished, they admitted it? So that’s it. The title should be for the team that was second.

"We can say that they scored goals, they won games. OK. But it’s completely fair to say that we didn’t compete before the start of the season with the same card. Maybe with the same rules, we could’ve signed some players that would have made the team better or scored more goals."

The 54-year-old added: "I have no doubt and I’m not scared to say the truth. The Chelsea fans will be upset with me. But if we were at Tottenham and broke the rules, I’d admit the same: 'We don’t deserve the title because we broke the rules.'

"I don’t say that Chelsea didn’t play well, that Conte was not great. I don’t say that. I don’t want the message to be twisted. But if you broke the rules then ciao – you need to give it to another team. I don’t know why that didn’t happen.

"What is being promoted and incentivised is to break the rules. If you don’t punish in the way that you need to punish, I say: 'Yeah…I lost my job [at Spurs] because we didn’t win a title.'"

© Imago

Should Chelsea be stripped of 2016-17 Premier League title?

There will be the vast majority of Chelsea fans who will be demanding that Manchester City be stripped of Premier League titles if they are found guilty of a significant percentage of their well-documented 115 charges, whenever that process is completed.

With Chelsea having initially been charged with 74 breaches a year ago, for rule breaches over a 13-year period, there is an argument that Pochettino is correct in his judgment of the situation.

The fact that Chelsea were not stripped of any league titles may have ramifications for the Man City case.

Vasco da Gama head coach Pedro Emanuel has attempted to play down speculation involving a move for Tottenham Hotspur forward Richarlison.

Having been left out of Roberto De Zerbi's Premier League squad, the Brazil international has effectively been made available for transfer.

With their transfer windows remaining open, a move to Portugal, Saudi Arabia or his homeland are the most realistic resolutions.

Brazil's market closes on Friday, subsequently leaving any interested suitors to take a proactive approach to signing the 29-year-old.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Emanuel refused to get drawn on going into detail about the versatile attacker.

© Imago / Every Second Media

Vasco da Gama boss speaks on Richarlison talk

After a game with Santa Fe in the Copa Sudamericana, Emanuel told reporters: "I think my silence says it all.

"I work with the players who are here; he is a player I respect greatly, a player everyone knows, 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."

© Imago / IMAGO / News Images

Will Vasco da Gama sign Richarlison?

A report by O Globo says that Vasco da Gama president Pedrinho is pushing to seal a deal for Richarlison.

Although a fee is not mentioned, Pedrinho is of the opinion that terms can be agreed with Spurs.

Richarlison has not played in Brazil since leaving Fluminense for Watford in 2017.

Since then, he has racked up 90 goals and 34 assists from 327 appearances for the Hornets, Everton and Spurs.

Still searching for their first win and first goals in the Premier League this season, Tottenham Hotspur welcome Everton to North London on Saturday evening.

Roberto De Zerbi's men were forced to share the spoils in a goalless stalemate with Nottingham Forest last weekend, having previously suffered defeats to Brentford (3-0) and Newcastle United (2-0).

Spurs will have a full week to rest up and re-group ahead of their clash with the Toffees, but they will not be at full strength for this gameweek four fixture.

Here, Sports Mole rounds up all of Tottenham's latest injury and suspension news ahead of facing David Moyes's Everton.

Xavi Simons

© Iconsport / SUSA

Status: Out

Type of injury: Knee

Possible return date: Unknown

Xavi Simons remains sidelined with a long-term knee injury sustained towards the end of the 2025-26 season, and he is expected to remain out for the rest of 2026.

Dejan Kulusevski

© Imago

Status: Out

Type of injury: Knee

Possible return date: Unknown

Dejan Kulusevski recently made a welcome return to training for the first time in 15 months, but the Swedish playmaker is still weeks away from being considered for first-team action.

Wilson Odobert

© Imago / News Images

Status: Out

Type of injury: Knee

Possible return date: Unknown

Wilson Odobert's 2025-26 season was ended prematurely by a ruptured ACL injury sustained in February.

The winger remains in the treatment room and may not feature for the remainder of 2026.

James Maddison

© Imago / Crystal Pix

Status: Major doubt

Type of injury: Shoulder

Possible return date: September 12 (vs. Everton)

James Maddison had only recently returned from the serious ACL injury that wrecked his 2025-26 campaign when he picked up a fresh knock, landing awkwardly on his shoulder after coming off the substitutes' bench in the defeat to Brentford.

The playmaker has since missed Spurs' last two games and remains a doubt heading into Saturday's fixture.

TOTTENHAM SUSPENSION LIST

Tottenham have no suspended players for the match against Everton.

Premier League giants are beginning to show interest in Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's brother, who had already been linked with Bayern Munich.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's career has taken on a new dimension since his move to PSG in January 2025. The Georgian forward is now considered one of the best players in the world, as well as a leading contender for the 2026 Ballon d'Or.

The 25-year-old has a younger brother, aged 16, who is already following in his footsteps.

Bayern Munich in pole position for Tornike Kvaratskhelia

© Iconsport / Harry Langer / dpa

Tornike is a young prospect at Dinamo Tbilisi, the same club where the PSG star was developed.

He has already featured for the Georgian club's first team and is beginning to attract attention in the transfer market. Back in May, Bayern Munich moved closer to signing Tornike Kvaratskhelia. The young player had already visited the club's facilities and held talks with the hierarchy.

Four months on, the German champions remain the frontrunners in this saga, with TEAMtalk reporting that "Kvaratskhelia spent time training with the Bavarian club at the start of the summer, and Bayern remain keen to seal a deal with him". However, the Premier League has now decided to enter the race for the young talent.

Premier League giants also in the running

© Imago / Artur Stabulnieks

According to the British outlet, Chelsea and Tottenham are the most interested English clubs in the Georgian winger, while Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Brighton and Aston Villa have also made contact with his representatives over a potential transfer.

Arsenal and Newcastle, meanwhile, are aware of Tornike Kvaratskhelia's situation.

It is worth noting that the Gunners are set to welcome Georgian talent Andria Bartishvili in 2027, and are therefore also keeping a close eye on this market. Either way, as with the Bartishvili case, English clubs will only be able to complete a transfer for Khvicha's brother once he turns 18, in 2028. As such, the battle for his signature is only just beginning.

Manager Roberto De Zerbi is tasked with leading Tottenham's rebuild this season, but is already under a degree of pressure following an underwhelming start to the 2026-27 Premier League campaign.

Although Spurs' problems remain largely on the pitch, the 47-year-old Italian's comments following Saturday's goalless draw with Nottingham Forest were not well received by Paul Merson, Arsenal icon and former England international from the 1990s.

The English icon suggested certain remarks from the manager should have stayed within the club's internal environment. By making them public, De Zerbi had put himself in a risky position, in his view.

"De Zerbi criticised the forwards after the game. He also criticised the medical department for dictating substitutions. That's dressing room talk. Don't go public and say that. You need to keep that internal," the former player wrote in his Sky Sports column.

De Zerbi's criticism names Tottenham players and medical staff

© Imago / APL

The draw with Forest secured Tottenham their first point of this Premier League campaign, but also exposed the team's struggles in front of goal.

The final whistle at the City Ground confirmed the negative milestone of the club failing to score in their opening three Premier League matches for the first time in the league's history.

De Zerbi vented that decision-making in attack needs to improve, citing specific players by name to illustrate situations that could have led to goals for Spurs had a different option been chosen to finish the move.

"On the chance with Marmoush, when he shoots, we have Robertson making a run forward. If we had played it to Robertson, Kudus would have been free on the other side," he said at one point.

"How many crosses went through to the back post? Two from Mathys Tel, one from Savio," the manager pointed out.

"Pedro Porro's ball to Mateus Fernandes, when he played it to Kudus and then Dominic Solanke's header, Mateus was completely free to score," he also recalled.

De Zerbi also criticised the apparent influence of the medical department over players' game time, saying he had been forced to substitute Savio and Udogie after 60 minutes on the instruction of club doctors.

"Kudus and Robertson (the substitutes) played very well, but making two substitutions at that point wasn't ideal. But we can't risk more injuries. Savio is very important to us, as is Destiny (Udogie). Maybe we lost a bit of balance, some connection," he said.

'He falls out with people': Merson on De Zerbi

© Iconsport / David Klein / Sportimage

Merson said Spurs fans could be concerned by the manager's comments, as interpersonal relationships are not his strong suit. "He falls out with people," the pundit wrote.

The complaint regarding the attack did not make sense to the former player. Tottenham had two big chances in the match against Forest and did not manage a single shot on target against Matz Sels.

"They didn't have 20 chances. It's not like the Nottingham Forest goalkeeper was man of the match. It's a long journey for Spurs, but my problem is with the mentality. You don't stay 17th for two years and turn it around overnight."

Regarding the comments made about the medical department, Merson raised the possibility that the Italian might be "covering himself". Even so, he added a caveat, recalling that Enzo Maresca made similar remarks at Chelsea and ended up leaving the club just a few weeks later.

"At the same time, if they're asking to substitute a player, he's the manager. He's in charge. If it's not up to him to decide how long players stay on the pitch, why not protect himself?" the pundit pointed out.

De Zerbi has been at Tottenham since March 2026 and has led a costly overhaul of the squad, as part of the project to return the club among the Premier League's top sides. The attacking struggles and physical problems are issues carried over from last season, which the manager still needs to find the best way to resolve.

In the final year of his contract, Richarlison finds himself out of Tottenham's plans. Following failed transfer attempts in recent weeks, the Brazilian forward was left out by Roberto De Zerbi, who did not include him on the club's registered Premier League squad list.

He now finds himself at a crossroads: stay frozen out at Spurs, or return to Brazil? On Monday, he became the target of a campaign by Vasco da Gama supporters attempting to convince him to join the club. He has previously revealed himself to be a Vasco fan.

Weeks ago, Richarlison received approaches from Everton and Trabzonspor, though talks never progressed. The transfer windows of Europe's big five leagues are now closed, as are those of several second-tier European markets, such as Portugal, the Netherlands and Turkey.

Only Russia would remain a viable alternative until Thursday, even though Russian clubs remain banned from UEFA competitions.

Amid this backdrop, Vasco supporters have appealed for the club to sign the number 9. Since the Brasileirao transfer window remains open until Friday, there would still be time for Richarlison to move to Sao Januario, or to another Brazilian club.

At 29, the forward has struggled with frequent injuries in recent seasons, which has affected his form at Tottenham and cost him his place in the Brazil national team. Having not worn the yellow shirt since October 2025, Richarlison still dreams of returning to Carlo Ancelotti's plans for the 2030 World Cup cycle.

For that to happen, however, he needs to secure a run of matches at a competitive level.

Why could Vasco de Gama represent an interesting destination for Richarlison?

Beyond the emotional connection, the Spurs number 9 would fit perfectly with Vasco da Gama's needs for the rest of the season: an unstable forward line.

Despite the volume of options, Vasco have one of the worst attacks in the league (27 goals), which helps explain the club's 17th-place position and dramatic relegation battle.

Richarlison, on the other hand, would represent a much safer bet for Pedro Emanuel's side, who are in the semi-finals of the Copa do Brasil and the quarter-finals of the Copa Sudamericana.

In 2025-26, for example, the forward was Tottenham's top scorer in the Premier League with 11 goals and four assists, numbers that proved crucial in securing the club's survival, which was only confirmed on the final matchday of the competition.

Although only three months remain in the Brazilian season, Richarlison is in full physical condition and could have an immediate impact at the club, who still have 13 Brasileirao fixtures remaining.

As such, even on a short-term loan, the 29-year-old would have the opportunity to prove his worth in order to once again target the international market in January.

Richarlison: Return to Brazil is unlikely, but there is a price to pay

According to reporting by ESPN, Richarlison is ruling out playing in Brazil at this moment, and not even the campaign launched by Vasco supporters would change his mind.

The Brazilian forward prefers to wait for offers, particularly from Saudi Arabia, though the Saudi Pro League (top division) window has already closed.

In this scenario, Richarlison is willing to remain sidelined at Spurs until December. It is worth remembering that, from 2027 onwards, the number 9 could sign a pre-contract agreement to leave the club for free at the end of the season. The Saudi market is one of the few capable of matching his Premier League salary.

The problem with waiting is that Richarlison would go over four months without playing professionally, given his last match for Tottenham was the defeat to Brentford on August 22, in the opening round of the season. Spurs have already turned down an offer worth up to £17m from Trabzonspor for the forward.

It remains to be seen whether Russian clubs, or the Saudi second division, make a move for the Brazilian in the coming days. One final option would be to try to fight his way back into contention at Tottenham itself.