Roberto De Zerbi wonders why Spurs haven’t sold the player who wants to leave – ‘It just doesn’t feel right.’
Roberto De Zerbi has openly questioned Tottenham’s choice to keep Richarlison, especially since the Brazilian forward made it clear he wanted to leave before Tuesday’s Premier League deadline.
At a press conference before Tottenham’s game against Nottingham Forest, a clearly frustrated De Zerbi was asked about Richarlison’s situation. Although the 29-year-old striker was told he’s not in the club’s plans and has been left out of the latest Premier League squad, he’s still officially a Spurs player, despite other teams showing interest.
Reports say Richarlison has agreed to join Trabzonspor, but with the Turkish transfer window closing Friday, he doesn’t have much time to find a new club after a move back to Everton fell through.
When talking to reporters, De Zerbi shared his thoughts on the whole mess. “I think Richarlison made all the decisions by himself. He spoke to me at the start of pre-season and told me he wanted to leave,” De Zerbi said.
“In the end, we brought in another striker. Like I said at the beginning, I only want players who want to stay, who are proud and passionate to be here. After that, whatever else happens isn’t really my job – it’s the club’s responsibility.”
De Zerbi added, “I can’t say much because I didn’t make the decisions. Richarlison’s message has been clear from the start. I accepted it, and for me, there’s nothing more to say. If you don’t want to stay here, I’m not going to keep talking about it. You’re free to leave. If you don’t want to be here, why stay on the list?”
He also said, “I’m the coach, not the sporting director. I want to work with players who are hungry, even if they don’t play, but who are happy to be at the club.”
De Zerbi added, “It’s not right when a player wants to leave, but the club doesn’t want to sell.”
As rumors surfaced about a £35 million deal for Richarlison to return to Everton, the player posted two messages on Instagram.
In one, he wrote, “After everything I’ve gone through the last few years, I’ve decided NO ONE will ever decide my future for me again. I went through tough times, mostly because of others’ decisions. Pressure, threats, backlash – none of that scares me. I’ve faced worse!”
He added, “I’ve always said any move has to be good for the club too. If it wasn’t, I wouldn’t accept it – just like when things were tough here, I stayed and gave my all. So, I hope they treat my situation with the same respect I’ve shown Spurs and everyone who worked with me.”
His second message said, “If Spurs and Everton agree, I’ll go back to the club that means so much to me. I wanted to return to a place where I was happy, but the talks were being controlled by others, and that’s not how it’ll be anymore. Despite everything, I’m still under contract with Spurs and will make myself available to the club.”