Richarlison rejected a permanent move to Vasco da Gama after the Brazilian club reached an agreement with Tottenham, sporting director Admar Lopes has said.
Vasco pursued the 29-year-old forward until the final day of the transfer window, but could not persuade him to return to Brazil. Richarlison therefore remains at Tottenham after a proposed exit failed to materialise.
Richarlison rejected Vasco da Gama transfer
Lopes said Vasco submitted a formal purchase offer and made every effort to secure the Tottenham player.
“We tried everything. We genuinely made a purchase offer, but what happened is that the player did not accept the terms of a permanent transfer,” Lopes said.
He added: “We tried until the last day, everything within our power to convince him, but the player refused and said it was not the right time to return to Brazil.”
Richarlison had been seeking a move away from north London and was also linked with a return to Everton. A late switch to Turkish club Trabzonspor also failed to take place.
His failure to secure a transfer has left him facing a difficult situation at Tottenham, where manager Roberto De Zerbi has excluded him from the club’s official 25-man Premier League squad.
The relationship between the pair deteriorated after Richarlison made clear during pre-season that he wanted to leave. De Zerbi subsequently said the Brazilian would not play even in domestic cup competitions.
“Richarlison will NOT play even if he’s available. Not even in the Carabao Cup, no,” De Zerbi said.
Richarlison later responded publicly on social media, questioning his complete exclusion. With the Vasco move rejected and his position at Tottenham unchanged, he faces a period on the sidelines before the January transfer window.
