Richarlison’s transfer story takes a surprising turn with a little-known FIFA rule now in action
Tottenham Hotspur striker Richarlison’s future has taken another big turn in the past few hours, and his options before January are quickly running out. A deal to send him back to Everton fell apart just before the deadline. Richarlison said he wanted to return to his old club but felt the talks were driven by what others wanted.
Since then, he’s been left out of Spurs’ 25-man Premier League squad, although he’s still training with the first team. A move back to Brazil with Vasco da Gama now seems unlikely. Vasco, one of Brazil’s most famous clubs, tried hard to sign him before their transfer window closed on September 11.
According to O Globo, Vasco couldn’t meet Spurs’ asking price, so they tried to get Richarlison to end his contract early. The club also wanted an unusual contract where Richarlison would sign long-term but be paid in parts, with another club possibly taking over payments if he moved again later. They even offered a bigger signing bonus and a share of any future sale.
A deal would have been a big deal for Brazilian football, much like when Neymar returned to Santos last year. But according to Globo, Richarlison has turned down Vasco’s offer, and the club has now given up on signing him.
It looks like Richarlison will probably stay at Spurs for the rest of 2026. He was linked to a move to the Saudi Pro League, but their transfer window closed on September 6. Whether he can end his contract early is unclear. FIFA rules don’t let players join new clubs outside a transfer window unless there are special reasons.
Global Sports Advocates say the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) follows Swiss labor law when deciding if a player has “just cause” to end a contract. This includes things like not paying wages, poor training facilities, or breaking other important terms.
The last point might apply to Richarlison, since he isn’t registered in Spurs’ Premier League squad and can only play in domestic cup games until January at the earliest.
There’s a similar case with former Atletico Madrid defender Renan Lodi, who ended his contract with Al Hilal last September after not being included in their squad. He later signed with Brazilian club Atletico Mineiro but only joined them at the end of December.
Al Hilal said they got a letter from Lodi’s lawyer saying he had ended his contract. FIFA’s rules, updated in January 2025, say players who end their contracts with “just cause” can register with a new club outside the usual transfer periods. FIFA will quickly review whether the contract ended with good reason before allowing or denying the new registration, though a final decision may come later from the Football Tribunal.