Richarlison's Struggle to Leave Tottenham for Vasco da Gama

Tottenham Hotspur have shut the door on Richarlison’s bid to rip up his contract and walk away for free, despite the Brazilian forward pushing hard for a return to Vasco da Gama before the transfer window in his homeland closes.

The 29-year-old has lurched from one failed exit route to another over the past fortnight. Now he is racing the clock.

A summer of dead ends

Tottenham tried to move Richarlison on in the final days of the English window, using him as a makeweight in a proposed swap deal for Iliman Ndiaye. The plan was simple enough: Richarlison to Everton, Ndiaye to Spurs.

It collapsed on the details. Richarlison and Everton could not agree personal terms, the move died, and with it Tottenham’s hopes of landing Ndiaye. The forward instead joined Manchester City, while Roberto De Zerbi turned to Chelsea’s Mykhaylo Mudryk, securing the winger on loan with an option to buy.

Richarlison’s options kept shrinking. A potential switch to Trabzonspor in the Super Lig never materialised. The path that remains leads back to Brazil and Vasco da Gama, the club where his career first took flight.

Reports on Thursday suggested Richarlison had already agreed terms with Vasco and was pushing for his Tottenham deal to be cancelled to smooth the move. He needs a breakthrough fast: the Brazilian summer window shuts on Friday night.

Contract stand-off at Spurs

That is where the story jams. BBC Sport reported on Thursday evening that Richarlison and Tottenham are “in dispute over the remaining nine months of his contract”.

The forward is, according to the report, exploring every avenue. He wants to be released from his deal so he can join Vasco as a free agent. Tottenham have drawn a firm line.

Club sources insist they are not considering a free release as a realistic option. Talks between Spurs and the player’s representatives are ongoing, but the situation has “escalated in recent days” as the deadline looms.

The contract itself makes things even more complex. Tottenham hold a 12‑month option to extend Richarlison’s deal until the end of next season. That clause strengthens their hand and weakens his leverage. Spurs are described as unwilling to negotiate a financial settlement over the remaining term, leaving Richarlison trapped between his desire to leave and a club determined not to lose an asset for nothing.

De Zerbi: “He didn’t want to”

Roberto De Zerbi has already mentally moved on.

The Tottenham head coach revealed he tried to keep Richarlison during pre-season, only to be met with a clear message from the player.

“At the beginning of pre-season I spoke to Richarlison and asked him if he wanted to extend his contract because I was happy to keep him with us,” De Zerbi said.

“He didn’t want to. So, Richarlison is a good player, yes. He was important last season, yes, very important. He’s a good guy, yes. But in the end, I had to stop myself putting pressure on the players if the players show me they want to leave.

“I’m sorry for him, but we have to go to another page and work with Dominic Solanke and Omar Marmoush.”

That last line is telling. De Zerbi has already shifted his attacking plans towards Solanke and Marmoush. Richarlison, once central to Spurs’ forward line, now feels like an expensive spare part.

With Vasco waiting, the Brazilian window closing, and Tottenham refusing to tear up his contract, the next 24 hours will decide whether this stand-off ends in a late escape or a long, awkward stalemate in north London.