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Richarlison wants out of Tottenham – and his Spurs exit could end up in court
Updated: 11 Sep 2026 05:01 CDT |
5 min read
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Richarlison and Tottenham are heading for a messy divorce, with the Brazil international striker apparently exploring every avenue in order to have his contract with the Premier League giants terminated.
The 29-year-old striker has been pushing to leave Roberto De Zerbi’s side since the summer, but with the Premier League transfer window closed, his situation is complicated.
However, Richarlison wants to return to Brazil with Vasco da Gama, which is a possibility that remains live as the transfer period in his homeland ends on 11 September.
Current ETV
Richarlison
F (C)
Tottenham
Richarlison
F (C)
Tottenham
ETV Range
€19.4M - €23.7M
Richarlison feels the consequences of failed Everton deal
Richarlison had been expected to leave Tottenham to join Everton in the summer, but the transfer took a dramatic twist on Deadline Day in the Premier League.
Iliman Ndiaye had expected to move in the opposite direction, but when Manchester City swooped to sign the winger, the part of the deal relating to the Brazilian collapsed.
For Richarlison, this was a disaster. He had already been warned by Spurs that he faced “limited” playing time this season following the signing of Omar Marmoush from City.
In response, he took to social media to fire an angry warning towards his club:
“After everything I’ve been through in the last few years, I’ve decided that never again will anyone decide my future for me.
“I went through a lot of bad things, and almost all of them happened because decisions were made by other people. Pressure, threats, retaliation – none of that scares me. I’ve been through far worse, believe me.
“I’ve always made it clear, every time I had the chance, that leaving for another club would only happen if it was also good for the club. If it wasn’t, I would never accept it. Just like I didn’t accept it when everything was going badly and they needed me.
“I stayed and gave everything. So, I hope they treat my situation with the same respect I’ve always shown Spurs and everyone who worked with me during this period. Just don’t try to decide for me.”
He signed off by promising that he ‘will remain at the club’s disposal’, yet the prospect of returning to Brazil has changed that.
Nevertheless, he was subsequently left out of Tottenham’s Premier League squad.
Richarlison and Spurs: What’s happening now?
Richarlison now wants the final nine months of his contract at Tottenham to be terminated, according to BBC Sport, which reports that there is a ‘dispute’ over the issue.
The striker wants the deal ripped up but Spurs are ‘unwilling to negotiate a settlement’ having had a €40 million (£35m) transfer to Everton lined up just a matter of days ago.
And Richarlison won’t necessarily be a free agent next summer, which explains why Spurs are reticent to simply tear up his contract. The North London side have a one-year option to extend his deal, which offers them the possibility of a lucrative transfer fee either in January or at the end of the season.
Leave now, worry about the consequences later?
Richarlison has opened talks with FIFA to resolve the dispute in a last-ditch attempt to push his way out the door. His lawyers are investigating Article 15 of FIFA's Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players, The Times reports.
This allows players to terminate their contract due to “sporting just cause” if they have played in fewer than 10% of matches during a season. But only four games into the season, Richarlison has not reached that threshold, having already played once.
Renan Lodi offers a recent precedent after he was left out of Al-Hilal’s Saudi Pro League squad for the 2025/26 season.
After seeking legal advice, he was told that Al-Hilal could not prevent him from exercising his profession. He tried to resolve the issue with the club but, after this failed, unilaterally terminated his contract in September 2025. The case remains in dispute, however.
This suggests that Richarlison could act first and then fight the legal consequences later.
Is Richarlison misunderstood or a ‘pest’?
However, former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan believes it would set a dangerous precedent if Richarlison were to be successful.
“What they'll be citing is some degree of sporting chance that enables him to have his contract [ripped up],” he told TalkSport.
“I think it would be tragic if they did, because it means that players could do as they want.
“They can be dreadful and have no consequence, they can have dreadful discipline, and dreadful behaviour and have no consequence behind it.
“FIFA are an adjudication, but if the club haven't done their job properly and protected their position, and there is a threat here and there is a threat to the contractual status because he's been demoted to a different space to the contract that he signed, which is obviously a signature for the first team...
“As an owner's mentality, I would think that's pretty sad that a player can get away with being an absolute pest.”
If no agreement is reached, meanwhile, Richarlison has tools at his disposal to take the issue further at FIFA or potentially all the way to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Brazil’s transfer deadline is looming, and if Richarlison’s future is not resolved rapidly, he faces weeks, potentially months, of uncertainty at Spurs before his next opportunity to leave.
