Why is Tottenham's £60m striker Richarlison playing for the U21s?

Less than four years after representing Brazil at the 2022 World Cup, Richarlison's downward spiral at Tottenham Hotspur was laid bare as he scored in front of a couple of hundred supporters for the under-21s against Cheltenham Town in the EFL Trophy. The Brazilian, who cost Spurs £60m from Everton and was rubbing shoulders with Neymar Jr and Vinicius Jr on international duty not so long ago, looked almost embarrassed to celebrate his thumping half-volley against the League Two outfit. He also notched a penalty in a shootout that Spurs' reserves lost 7-6 after a 2-2 draw.

Richarlison, 29, was making only his second appearance of the season, and his first since the end of August against Brentford, having been left out of Tottenham's Premier League squad. Manager Roberto de Zerbi insisted the decision to omit him from the club's 25-man squad in September was not his, following the forward's failed move back to Merseyside at the end of the transfer window. With just three goals, Spurs are the top-flight's lowest scorers this season and second bottom in the table. So the decision to leave last season's 12-goal leading scorer out of their league plans looks increasingly difficult to justify.

For a couple of hours on transfer deadline day, it seemed only a matter of time before Richarlison left Tottenham. He was closing in on an idyllic return to Everton, more than four years after swapping Merseyside for North London. But after expressing his desire to depart, a proposed move to the Hill Dickinson Stadium fell through, leaving both the player and club with few alternatives at such a late stage of the summer transfer window.

Manager Roberto de Zerbi explained the situation in September, stating that the player had decided everything alone. According to the manager, Richarlison expressed his desire to leave at the start of pre-season. De Zerbi emphasized that he only wants to keep players who are proud and have the right passion to stay at the club. Later in the month, a proposed move to Brazilian side Vasco da Gama also failed to materialize, cementing his exile from the first team.

The consequences of this impasse have been severe for both parties. Tottenham are currently mired in a goal crisis, sitting near the relegation zone with the lowest scoring record in the Premier League. Leaving out last season's top scorer seems paradoxical when the team desperately needs attacking solutions. For Richarlison, playing in the EFL Trophy against lower-league opposition represents a stark fall from grace for a player who once led the line for his national team on the world stage.

In conclusion, the situation surrounding Richarlison highlights the complex and often volatile nature of modern football transfers and squad management. As the season progresses, both the player and the club will need to find a resolution, whether through a future transfer window or a reconciliation, to salvage what has become a deeply frustrating campaign for all involved.