Richarlison faces Tottenham exile unless Gulf move can be agreed

Richarlison is set to remain out of action until January unless he secures a move to a club in a country where the summer transfer window is still open.

The Tottenham forward was left out of the club’s 25-man Premier League squad after asking to leave earlier this summer, according to The Sun. As a result, he is not eligible to play in the Premier League.

Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi wants to work only with players fully committed to the club and has therefore approved the decision to exclude the Brazil international.

Richarlison could have featured against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night, but De Zerbi confirmed that he would not be involved.

The situation leaves Tottenham’s leading scorer for the 2025-2026 season facing an uncertain period over the coming months. Richarlison scored 11 Premier League goals last season, more than twice the total of the club’s next-highest scorer, and played a central role in helping Tottenham avoid relegation.

His only apparent route away from Tottenham is a move to a country where the transfer market remains open, such as the United Arab Emirates.

There has been speculation that he could join Shabab Al Ahli Dubai, although it is unclear whether the UAE club could meet his wages. His salary was also understood to have been a sticking point in other deals that failed to materialise this summer.

The Greek Super League transfer window closes on Tuesday evening, but there do not appear to be any imminent developments involving Richarlison.

There had also been reports linking him with Trabzonspor, where Mohamed Salah plays, but that move did not progress. Sources at Tottenham denied receiving an offer from the Turkish club.

Vasco da Gama, Richarlison’s boyhood club in Brazil, subsequently emerged as another possible destination.

Richarlison was understood to be open to a temporary return to the Brazilian club. However, Tottenham had already reached the limit of six international players allowed to go out on loan, meaning the move could not take place on those terms.

Tottenham are believed to have accepted a £20m offer from Vasco before the Brazilian transfer window closes at 04:00 UK time on Saturday. Unless that deal or another move to a country with an open transfer window is completed, Richarlison is likely to remain unavailable until January.