Richarlison Excluded from Tottenham's Premier League Squad

Richarlison’s name used to sit near the top of every Tottenham teamsheet. Now it’s missing from the one list that matters most.

Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed their official Premier League squad, and the glaring omission is their top scorer from last season. Eleven goals in 32 league appearances have not been enough to save the 29-year-old Brazilian from a stark new reality: he is no longer part of Spurs’ plans. Not even on paper.

What makes the decision more striking is who did make the cut. Injured players such as Simons and Odobert are in. Richarlison is out. No compromise, no halfway house.

“He decided everything alone”

Roberto De Zerbi did not try to soften the blow. He rarely does.

Facing questions about the forward’s exclusion, the Tottenham head coach walked a fine line: distancing himself from the administrative call while making it abundantly clear where he stands on the player’s behaviour.

“It was not my decision. It is the normal decision,” De Zerbi said, explaining that the roots of the situation stretch back to the very start of pre-season. “I think Richarlison, he decided everything alone. He spoke with me at the beginning of the pre-season and told me his idea and desire was to leave.

“At the end we go to bring another striker in and like I said at the beginning of the pre-season, I want to keep the players, just the players that want to stay and be proud and with the right passion to stay here.”

That last line is the crux. Passion, pride, willingness to stay. In De Zerbi’s world, if any of those are missing, the conversation is over.

Club call, clear message

De Zerbi underlined that the formal act of leaving Richarlison off the list came from upstairs, not from the dugout. The separation, though, feels complete.

“Then for everything and other problems, it is not my business and not my job. It is the responsibility of the club,” he said. “I can't say nothing because I didn't decide anything. The message of Richarlison from the beginning of the season has been very clear. I accepted that and for me there is nothing to say.”

Nothing to say, yet the implications are loud. A player who started the opening game of the campaign against Brentford now finds himself in professional limbo, frozen out while others step into the space he has left behind.

New faces, new hierarchy

The timing has been ruthless. As Richarlison angled for a way out, Tottenham moved on.

Omar Marmoush arrived from Manchester City. Mykhailo Mudryk came in on loan from Chelsea. Savio followed from City as well. Each signing nudged Richarlison further down the pecking order until there was no realistic route back into the Premier League squad.

The transformation has been swift. One month he is leading the line on opening day; the next he is watching his place, his number, his role, effectively handed to others.

De Zerbi’s hard line on attitude

All of it feeds into a broader theme De Zerbi has hammered home since taking charge: he wants a squad built on hunger, not reputation.

“If you don't want to stay here, I don't want to keep talking in the press conference,” he said, cutting through any sentimentality. “Go out – you have the freedom to go out. If you don't want to stay, why do we have to keep you on the list? Why do you have to stay?

“I'm not Vinai, I'm not the sporting director, I am the coach and I would like to work with the people hungry if they don't play but happy to stay in this club.”

That is the new standard. Talent is welcome. Commitment is non-negotiable.

For Richarlison, once a central figure and now a conspicuous absentee, the message could not be clearer: at Tottenham, the door is open only in one direction unless the attitude matches the badge.