De Zerbi confirms Richarlison said no to new Tottenham deal and is off the Premier League list

De Zerbi draws a line under Richarlison as Spurs hunt first league points

Anyone searching live soccer on TV this weekend for Tottenham needs a different name at the top of the team sheet. Head coach Roberto De Zerbi has now said in public what the club already confirmed on paper: Richarlison will not play Premier League soccer for Spurs this season.

Fabrizio Romano circulated the key quote on Saturday. De Zerbi said he asked the Brazil forward at the start of pre-season whether he wanted to extend his contract. “I was happy to keep him with us… and Richarlison said NO. So I’m sorry for him but we have to go to another page.”

That page is already written into the registration list. Tottenham submitted a 25-man Premier League squad without Richarlison. Injured players Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert were included. The 29-year-old forward, Spurs’ leading Premier League scorer last season, was not.

What De Zerbi said, and what he did not decide

De Zerbi has repeated that the sporting decision followed the player’s own stance. He said Richarlison told him from the beginning of pre-season that he wanted to leave. An Everton return was discussed before the deadline and did not go through. De Zerbi later said he did not know whether a late Turkey offer had been accepted. “For me nothing changes.”

He also distanced himself from board-level talks. “It was not my decision. It is the normal decision,” he said, adding that he wants only players who want to stay. With Omar Marmoush arriving from Manchester City to join Dominic Solanke, there was no remaining Premier League slot for a forward who had asked to go.

That matters for where to watch Tottenham this weekend. De Zerbi said the rest of the squad was available for the away fixture at Nottingham Forest as Spurs look for a first Premier League win of the campaign after early defeats. Richarlison trained separately during the week. He cannot be selected in the league until a new registration window opens.

For the live soccer on TV audience, the news is simple: soccer games today and this weekend involving Tottenham will not include the player who led their league scoring chart last season. De Zerbi has named Solanke and Marmoush as the forwards he will work with. The club has closed the registration list. The coach has closed the conversation.