De Zerbi: Richarlison said no to a Tottenham contract extension

Tottenham’s squad picture just became clearer, from the manager’s own mouth. Roberto De Zerbi said he spoke to Richarlison at the start of pre-season, asked whether the forward wanted to extend his contract, and was told no.

Fabrizio Romano circulated the quote on Saturday. De Zerbi’s wording was direct: he was happy to keep Richarlison, put the question to him early, and after the refusal said he was “sorry for him” but that Tottenham “have to go to another page”.

What De Zerbi actually said

This is not a transfer completion and it is not a rumour about a destination. It is a manager confirming a contract conversation that already happened. De Zerbi wanted an extension. Richarlison declined. The club, in the coach’s telling, is moving on.

That matters for the weeks ahead. Matchday squads are built from players the staff expect to use. A senior forward who has declined new terms is no longer being talked about as part of the next cycle, even if he remains on the books until his current deal ends.

What it means for Spurs

De Zerbi has publicly closed the extension question and pointed the club toward other options in attack.

Alasdair Gold and other Tottenham correspondents carried the same press-conference thread, including wider injury and selection notes from the same briefing. The extension refusal itself was confirmed by the manager, not inferred from social media.

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