Richarlison’s Tottenham career is creaking towards a bitter standstill, with a proposed move to Trabzonspor threatening to collapse days before the Turkish window shuts.
Tottenham have already rebuffed an opening offer of around €20 million (£17m) from the Super Lig side, a figure that falls well short of their valuation. The rejection has left the Brazilian’s camp increasingly downbeat about finding a breakthrough before Turkey’s transfer deadline at 23:59 on September 4.
The clock is ticking. And so is Richarlison’s patience.
Salah and Fabinho Join the Push
This is no ordinary transfer chase. According to ESPN Brazil, Mohamed Salah and Fabinho have both contacted their former 2022 World Cup team-mate directly, urging him to embrace a fresh start in Turkey.
Their intervention underlines how far Richarlison has drifted from the picture in north London. The forward has already made it clear in public that he wants to take control of his next move. Behind the scenes, that stance has clashed hard with Tottenham’s hierarchy, who are refusing to be strong-armed into a cut-price sale.
The result is tension. Real tension. Relations between player and club executives have deteriorated at speed, with the Brazilian increasingly frustrated by what he views as an inflexible boardroom.
De Zerbi Draws a Line
On the pitch, the verdict is even harsher.
Roberto De Zerbi has made his position crystal clear. After a failed move to Everton earlier in the window, the head coach left Richarlison out of Tottenham’s Premier League squad altogether, a brutal indication of where he stands in the pecking order.
De Zerbi has sent him to train with the under-21s, effectively cutting him adrift from the first-team environment. For a forward who arrived in England as one of the most combative and expressive attackers in the league, it is a stark fall.
This is not a tactical tweak. It is an exile.
Deadline or Dead End
Everything now hinges on Trabzonspor’s next move.
Tottenham are holding out for around £35m. If the Turkish club step up and meet that asking price before the deadline, Richarlison gets the reset he craves and Spurs bank a significant fee as they remodel their frontline.
If they don’t, the consequences are bleak for the player. With the Turkish window closing and his Premier League registration blocked, Richarlison would be staring at months without competitive football, unless he can pivot quickly towards another open market such as Saudi Arabia.
For Spurs, the objective is simpler: clear the decks, settle the noise, and allow De Zerbi’s new attacking structure to take hold.
For Richarlison, the equation is harsher. Either a late lifeline from Trabzonspor or a long, cold spell on the outside looking in.
