Tottenham Hotspur’s decision to leave Richarlison out of their Premier League squad has sparked a major debate — and Roberto De Zerbi’s side could soon be left wondering whether they made the wrong call.
The Brazilian forward was omitted from Spurs’ 25-man Premier League squad despite remaining under contract, bringing his increasingly difficult relationship with the club to another level. The decision came after a turbulent summer in which Richarlison repeatedly expressed a desire to leave Tottenham.
De Zerbi has defended the situation, insisting that Richarlison “decided everything alone” after telling the manager at the beginning of pre-season that he wanted to move on. The Tottenham boss also explained that the club subsequently moved to bring in another striker because he wanted players who were fully committed to remaining at Spurs.
But that argument is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore after Tottenham’s disastrous start in front of goal.
Spurs have failed to score in their opening three Premier League matches, including a goalless draw with Nottingham Forest. Despite spending more than £300 million during the summer transfer window, Tottenham did not secure a recognised replacement for Richarlison, leaving De Zerbi with serious questions to answer in attack.
And that is where the Richarlison decision could come back to haunt Tottenham.
The 29-year-old was Spurs’ leading Premier League scorer last season, finding the net 11 times despite another campaign affected by injuries. His omission therefore looks particularly bold at a time when the club are desperately searching for goals.
Tottenham had hoped to resolve the situation with a transfer. Richarlison was close to returning to Everton, but that move collapsed, while Turkish side Trabzonspor emerged as another possible destination. However, no deal was completed, leaving the Brazilian stuck at Spurs while unable to feature in the Premier League.
That leaves De Zerbi in a difficult position.
On one hand, the manager is entitled to demand commitment from his players. If Richarlison genuinely wanted to leave, there is a reasonable argument that Spurs should build their squad around players who want to be there.
On the other hand, football is ultimately about results — and Tottenham desperately need goals.
With Richarlison unavailable and Spurs already struggling to create and finish chances, the decision to effectively remove their most prolific Premier League scorer from the equation could prove costly.
De Zerbi has no shortage of attacking options on paper, with new arrivals such as Omar Marmoush and Savio expected to make an impact alongside Dominic Solanke. But so far, Tottenham have not found the attacking consistency required to justify allowing Richarlison to disappear from the picture.
The biggest question is now simple: have Tottenham made a huge mistake?
If Spurs suddenly find their goals without Richarlison, De Zerbi’s decision will look justified. But if the drought continues, fans will inevitably look back at the Brazilian’s 11-goal season and wonder whether the club were too quick to shut the door on a player who could still have made a difference.
For now, Richarlison remains a Tottenham player — but his Premier League future appears to be hanging by a thread.
And if Spurs’ goal problems continue, this could become one of the biggest talking points of De Zerbi’s first season in North London.
