Richarlison Returns for Tottenham Under 21s After Failed Move

Tottenham Hotspur striker Richarlison has resumed competitive football with the club's Under-21s after failing to secure a transfer during the summer window. The Brazilian international started against Cheltenham Town in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, marking his first appearance since the opening day of the Premier League season amid uncertainty over his role under manager Roberto De Zerbi.

Richarlison's return to the pitch comes after he was excluded from Tottenham's Premier League squad, leaving him without a regular first-team pathway following the collapse of potential moves abroad and in Brazil. With the transfer window closed, the forward faces a wait until January for another opportunity to resolve his situation through a possible transfer.

The EFL Trophy permits Premier League academy teams to field up to two players who are either older than 21 or have made at least 40 first-team appearances. Richarlison was the only player meeting those criteria in Tottenham's squad for the trip to Gloucestershire, according to the match coverage published by the Evening Standard.

Although Richarlison remains eligible for the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, he had not featured in either competition after the transfer window closed. He was previously named on the bench for Tottenham's second-round victory over Charlton Athletic, but that selection came before deadline day.

De Zerbi had expressed uncertainty about the striker's future during pre-season, while emphasizing his personal and professional regard for the player.

"I don't know because I like him as a player and as a guy. He's unbelievable in terms of attitude and behaviour. But, in the end, we have to respect what he wants to do.

Sometimes he says he wants to stay, sometimes he wants to leave. We have to speak anyway. There is not any problem.

He's a lovely guy." De Zerbi said.

The Tottenham manager later addressed the responsibility players have when seeking an exit, explaining that the club needed an acceptable financial arrangement before allowing departures. His comments followed reports that Richarlison had been told to find another club after falling outside the team's plans for the campaign.

"I love these players, they are great guys, I have very good relationships, but if they want to leave, they have to bring the solution, the economic solution, to the club, and they can go, and we find other players." De Zerbi said.

Richarlison's summer search for a new club included reported approaches involving Trabzonspor and Vasco Da Gama, but neither move was completed after the parties failed to agree terms. A return to Everton, where he played before joining Tottenham in 2022, had also been discussed.

The striker had impressed during Tottenham's pre-season preparations, but that form did not translate into a place in De Zerbi's Premier League plans. His appearance against Cheltenham offers competitive minutes while his first-team future remains unresolved until at least the next transfer window.