RismadarVoice Reporters
September 4, 2026
Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi has said the decision to leave Brazil forward Richarlison out of the club’s Premier League squad was not made by him, following a turbulent period involving the player’s future at the club.
Richarlison was a notable omission from Tottenham’s 25-man Premier League squad submitted on Thursday, despite injured players Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert being included.
The 29-year-old forward had been linked with a move away from Spurs after reportedly expressing his desire to leave the club. A potential return to former side Everton was discussed before the transfer deadline, but the move failed to materialise.
Speaking about the situation, De Zerbi said Richarlison had made his intentions clear at the beginning of pre-season.
“It was not my decision. It is the normal decision,” the Italian manager said.
“I think Richarlison decided everything alone. He spoke with me at the beginning of pre-season and told me his idea and desire was to leave.”
De Zerbi added that he preferred to work with players who were fully committed to Tottenham and willing to compete for their place in the team.
“I want to keep the players, just the players that want to stay and be proud and with the right passion to stay here,” he said.
The manager said issues surrounding Richarlison’s future were the responsibility of the club and not within his role as coach.
“For everything and other problems, it is not my business and not my job. It is the responsibility of the club,” De Zerbi said.
Richarlison joined Tottenham from Everton in 2022 and was the club’s top Premier League scorer last season, netting 11 goals in 32 appearances as Spurs battled to avoid relegation.
The forward has entered the final year of his contract, and Tottenham have strengthened their attacking options with the arrivals of Omar Marmoush from Manchester City, Mykhailo Mudryk on loan from Chelsea, and Brazilian winger Savio from City.
Turkish club Trabzonspor have reportedly shown interest in signing Richarlison, while clubs in Saudi Arabia can still complete transfers until Sunday. However, if he remains at Tottenham beyond the transfer window, he will not be eligible to play in the Premier League.
De Zerbi said he wanted to focus on players who remained committed to the club, adding that he did not want to continue discussing a player who wanted to leave.
“I am not Vinai [Venkatesham], I am not the sporting director, I am the coach,h and I would like to work with the people hungry if they don’t play but happy to stay in this club,” he said.
