Richarlison's hopes of a homecoming move to Vasco da Gama have unravelled, leaving the Tottenham forward's future no clearer as his standoff with the club drags on.
Tottenham and the Rio de Janeiro side had reportedly settled on a transfer fee for the 29-year-old, but talks broke down once it came to personal terms. That collapse leaves Richarlison in limbo just as Brazil's transfer window shuts Friday night with no deal in place, the likeliest outcome now is that he simply stays in north London.
This is the second exit route to close on him in weeks. A £35m deadline-day switch to Everton also fell apart over personal terms, a setback that preceded his omission from Tottenham's Premier League squad list entirely.
Asked to shed light on the saga Friday, head coach Roberto De Zerbi kept his answer brief, acknowledging the situation without offering specifics.
Richarlison is said to be pushing for an early release from a contract running until next summer though Tottenham hold a card of their own, with the option to extend it by a further year.
His importance to the side last season is hard to dispute: he finished as Tottenham's top league scorer with 11 goals as the club fought off relegation.
De Zerbi struck a reflective tone discussing the fallout, describing Richarlison warmly and saying he'd made a genuine effort to convince him to stay. He noted the decision to exclude him from the squad wasn't his alone, framing it as a consequence of choices Richarlison had made. The manager voiced regret that things hadn't gone differently, while stressing he held no ill will toward the striker.
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