De Zerbi says Tonali needs time as Richarlison makes Tottenham exit clear

Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi says Sandro Tonali needs more time to adapt to the club, while confirming that Richarlison has made it clear he wants to leave.

Tottenham are preparing to face Nottingham Forest in the third round of the Premier League, with De Zerbi’s side still without a point after losing their opening two matches. Nottingham Forest have taken one point from their first two games, drawing one and losing one.

De Zerbi said Tonali, who joined Tottenham as a new midfielder, should not be expected to immediately reproduce his best form.

“Perhaps Tonali needs more time to understand the new club. I remember his difficulties in his first season at Milan, and in the second season they won Serie A,” De Zerbi said at his pre-match news conference.

“We want him to play at a good level from the first season, but perhaps it is different for a new player, a new environment and a new dressing room.”

The manager also addressed Richarlison’s future after the Brazil forward was left out of Tottenham’s squad for the 2026-27 season as preparations continue for his departure.

“Everything was decided by him, not me or the club. I was not responsible for the situation. He decided everything by himself,” De Zerbi said.

“He spoke to me at the beginning of pre-season and told me his idea and his desire to leave.”

Tottenham have since moved to bring in another striker, with De Zerbi reiterating that he only wants players who are committed to remaining at the club.

“We went to bring in another striker and, as I said at the beginning of pre-season, I only want to keep players who want to stay and have a real passion for staying here,” he said.

“Richarlison’s message from the beginning of this season was very clear. I accepted that.”

Reports from transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano have stated that Trabzonspor have reached an agreement with Richarlison over personal terms as the Turkish club look to strengthen their attack.

However, De Zerbi said he was unsure whether Trabzonspor had made an offer for the player, or if Tottenham had accepted one.

Richarlison joined Tottenham in the summer of 2022 and has made 134 appearances for the London club, scoring 32 goals. Before that, he spent four seasons with Everton and one campaign at Watford.

De Zerbi will also work again with Ukraine international Mykhailo Mudryk, who played under him at Shakhtar Donetsk. Tottenham have completed a deal to sign Mudryk on loan from Chelsea until the end of the season.

“It was a season full of emotions in Ukraine. We were building a great team, then the war broke out and everything ended,” De Zerbi said.

“We stayed in contact with him and the other players. Now we have to see his physical condition first, and how he can adapt to a new team and a different style of play.”

Mudryk made a strong impression during his time at Shakhtar Donetsk, appearing in 44 matches and contributing to 29 goals. He helped the club win the Ukrainian Super Cup in the 2021-22 season before contributing to their Ukrainian Premier League title success in 2022-23. He was also named Ukraine’s Player of the Year that season.

The winger moved to Chelsea in January 2023 and played 73 matches for the club, registering 21 goal contributions. He later served a suspension for doping before returning to football.

De Zerbi confirmed that all of his players are available for the match against Nottingham Forest, with James Maddison returning to training on Thursday.