Spurs make a big move to protect themselves after Richarlison’s transfer falls through again
Spurs have taken important steps to protect themselves legally amid the tricky situation with Richarlison at the club.
The Brazilian striker started the season leading the line for Spurs in their opening game, where Roberto De Zerbi’s team lost 3-0 to Brentford. But after new attackers joined the squad, Richarlison was left out of the Premier League squad following his request to leave Tottenham.
It later came out that Richarlison’s lawyers were planning to take legal action to try to end his contract early, which currently runs until June 2027 with an option to extend. Reports said his team was even considering involving FIFA to push for his departure as soon as possible.
With no future at Spurs, it looked like he’d be training with the Under-21s instead of the first team. However, on Friday, Bruno Andrade from ESPN Brazil shared that Richarlison actually returned to first-team training and won’t be with the reserves. This move is seen as a careful decision by Spurs to strengthen their legal position since they are still including him in the first-team setup despite the contract dispute.
With most European transfer windows now closed, it seemed Richarlison might join Mo Salah at Trabzonspor, but that deal fell through. Next, a possible return to Brazil with Vasco de Gama was discussed. The Times reported Spurs accepted a £20 million offer from Vasco before the Brazilian transfer deadline, but Richarlison couldn’t agree on personal terms, so the move collapsed.
Reports said Vasco wanted a long-term deal paid in installments, while Richarlison preferred a short stay of a few months with his boyhood club before heading back to Europe or the Middle East. So that option fell through, and now Qatar, where the transfer window is still open, seems to be his only chance to move.
Richarlison shared an update on Instagram: “We were very close to me signing with Vasco, my team, my whole family’s team. It was a close call. From the start, I told Pedrinho and Felipe I wanted to play for Vasco until December. When other clubs showed interest, I made sure Vasco was my priority. Unfortunately, Tottenham hit their loan limit, so it didn’t work out. Thanks to the Vasco fans for all the kind messages.”
According to experts at Global Sports Advocates, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) applies Swiss labor laws when deciding if there is ‘just cause’ to end a contract. For Richarlison, the key issue is likely his “absence of player registration” since he was left out of the official squad.