Roberto De Zerbi has drawn his line in the sand. Richarlison wanted out, so Richarlison is out. Simple as that.
The Brazilian was Spurs' top Premier League scorer last season, which makes his omission from De Zerbi's 25-man squad all the more striking. But according to the Italian, this was never really his call to make. When pre-season started, De Zerbi sat down with Richarlison and offered him a contract extension. The player said no. He made clear he wanted to leave. The manager listened, and eventually stopped pushing.
"He decided everything. Not me, not the club," De Zerbi said bluntly.
That is a pretty clean summation of the whole mess. Richarlison spent last week training separately from the first team after rejecting a proposed move back to Everton. At 29, with no deal done and no squad spot available once Omar Marmoush arrived from Manchester City, the door closed.
Spurs' Forward Line Has Already Moved On
De Zerbi has been direct about who he sees doing the job going forward: Dominic Solanke and Marmoush. There is no sentimentality here, even for a striker who was very important to the club last season, by the manager's own admission.
Spurs have been kept scoreless in back-to-back Premier League defeats, to Brentford and Newcastle. They need goals, and they need them quickly. Check our look at [what is coming up in the Premier League this weekend](/uprise/football/premier-league-10-things-to-look-out-for-this-weekend) to get a sense of what Spurs are walking into.
There is, at least, some good news on that front. Mykhailo Mudryk, signed on loan from Chelsea on deadline day, is available for Saturday's trip to Nottingham Forest. De Zerbi worked with him previously at Shakhtar Donetsk and is clearly a believer, suggesting the 25-year-old is good for up to 30 minutes despite not having played a competitive match since November 2024 following a doping suspension. Fellow new arrival Savio is also available. James Maddison, recovering from a shoulder fracture, is likely to miss out.
Alonso Doubles Down on James in the Middle
Across London, Xabi Alonso is in the middle of his own interesting tactical experiment. Reece James has spent his career building a reputation as one of the best right-backs in the game, but Alonso wants him further up the pitch and closer to everything.
James started Chelsea's first two matches and came on centrally against Brighton. Alonso was asked directly whether James could become one of the world's best midfielders. He said yes. Not vaguely, not "potentially." He said James has the intelligence for it, the awareness, and the leadership that becomes even more effective in a central position where he is "closer to everything."
For context on how Chelsea's early season is shaping up under Alonso, our piece on [their perfect yet unserious start](/uprise/football/chelseas-perfect-yet-unserious-start-to-the-premier-league-season) covers the bigger picture well.
Alonso was also candid about needing to manage James carefully given his injury history, with the loss of Enzo Fernandez to Manchester City and a late collapsed deal for Lamine Camara leaving him short in midfield anyway.
So James in the middle is partly tactical vision, partly necessity. At least Alonso is owning it.
The Richarlison situation, meanwhile, is a reminder that squad harmony has limits. When a player signals he is done, even the best managers eventually have to take them at their word.