“He decided everything alone.” That was Roberto de Zerbi's explanation for why Richarlison is away from Tottenham's Premier League plans and back playing at U21 level. The forward scored for the under-21s against Cheltenham Town in the EFL Trophy, in front of a couple of hundred supporters, with a thumping half-volley in a 2-2 draw that Spurs' reserves lost 7-6 on penalties.

De Zerbi's explanation for the break

De Zerbi said Richarlison spoke to him at the beginning of pre-season and made his desire to leave clear. He also said he wanted to keep only players who were proud to stay and had the right passion, and that the wider problems around the exit were the club's responsibility.

The setup has left Richarlison in a strange place. He was left out of Tottenham's Premier League squad in September after a failed move back to Merseyside, and the reporting now puts his return to senior action at January at the earliest.

Tottenham's attack without him

The omission would look less significant if Spurs were scoring freely, but they have managed only 3 league goals and sit 19th after six games. Richarlison's own league output is not the reason Tottenham are in that position, but his absence does remove a forward who scored 11 league goals in 32 appearances last season.

His record at the club is not empty either. Since arriving from Everton in 2022, he has 27 top-flight goals in 103 appearances for Tottenham. That is why the sight of him starting for the U21s against Cheltenham felt so stark, even if the appearance at least gave him some match rhythm after a run of 68 Premier League minutes and 1 league outing this season.

Richarlison remains outside the first-team picture for now, and January is the earliest realistic point at which Tottenham can move the story on.

FAQ

Why is Richarlison playing for Tottenham's U21s instead of the first team?

Roberto de Zerbi said Richarlison told him early in pre-season that he wanted to leave and had “decided everything alone.” Richarlison was left out of Tottenham's Premier League squad in September after a failed move back to Merseyside, and he has now returned to action with the U21s against Cheltenham Town in the EFL Trophy.

Will Richarlison have to wait until January for a Premier League return?

The reporting says Richarlison is stuck outside Tottenham's Premier League plans until at least January. He scored for the U21s against Cheltenham Town, but he has only 1 Premier League appearance and 68 minutes this season, so a senior return does not look close.

How badly are Tottenham missing goals without Richarlison?

Tottenham have scored just 3 Premier League goals in 6 games and sit 19th with 3 points. Richarlison scored 11 league goals in 32 appearances last season and has 27 top-flight goals in 103 appearances for the club since arriving from Everton, so the attack has lost a proven scorer.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →