Tottenham forward Richarlison has rejected a permanent move back to Brazil with Vasco da Gama, despite the club agreeing terms with his current team, according to Vasco's sporting director Admar Lopes.
Vasco pursued the 29-year-old attacker until the final day of the transfer window, aiming to bring him back to Brazil, but their efforts were unsuccessful. Lopes confirmed that Vasco submitted a formal purchase offer and worked diligently to persuade the player.
“We tried everything. We genuinely made a purchase offer, but what happened is that the player did not accept the terms of a permanent transfer,” Lopes stated, as reported by Sports Mole. “We tried until the last day, everything within our power to convince him, but the player refused and said it was not the right time to return to Brazil.”
This development adds another layer to Richarlison's turbulent transfer situation. He had been looking to depart Tottenham, with links to a return to Everton and a late proposed move to Turkish club Trabzonspor also falling through. With Vasco unable to secure his return, Richarlison remained in North London when the transfer window closed.
His prospects at Tottenham, however, remain bleak. The failed transfer has intensified an already strained relationship with manager Roberto De Zerbi, who has completely excluded Richarlison from the squad. This rift began after the player publicly expressed his desire to leave during pre-season. De Zerbi's firm response saw the forward left out of Tottenham's official 25-man Premier League squad and, as confirmed by the manager, ineligible for domestic cup competitions.
The manager's stance prompted a public reaction from Richarlison on social media, questioning his complete exclusion. With his Brazilian homecoming denied and his relationship with De Zerbi seemingly irreparable, the striker faces an extended period on the sidelines until the January transfer window opens.
