adminAlan Shearer has warned that Tottenham Hotspur could be left dealing with a growing problem behind the scenes after head coach Roberto De Zerbi decided to leave Richarlison out of the club’s Premier League squad.
The former England striker believes the decision has created an uncomfortable situation that could continue to affect Spurs throughout the season, particularly with the Brazilian forward still under contract and unable to feature in Premier League matches.
Tottenham were required to leave out one non-homegrown player in order to meet Premier League squad-registration rules. De Zerbi ultimately opted to exclude Richarlison, 29, after the striker rejected opportunities to leave the club during the final stages of the transfer window.
Everton were reportedly among the clubs interested in bringing Richarlison back, while Brazilian outfit Vasco da Gama also explored a potential move. However, neither transfer materialised, leaving the forward at Tottenham without a place in De Zerbi’s Premier League plans.
The tension appeared to increase after Richarlison reacted on social media following Tottenham’s 3-1 Carabao Cup defeat to Liverpool. Despite being eligible for domestic cup competitions, the Brazilian was left out of the matchday squad and responded with the one-word message: “why?”
Speaking to Betfair, Shearer suggested that Tottenham now have a difficult situation to manage because De Zerbi’s decision is unlikely to be reversed.
“Richarlison isn’t in the squad, and De Zerbi has said he is not going to play, so you can’t reverse it, there is no going back,” Shearer said, via Football London.
“He has made a decision and he will stick with that. What they do now, I haven’t got a clue. You have a player not in the squad that you obviously have to continue to pay a salary to, and he’ll be a problem. I don’t think he will sit around and be nice.”
Shearer also highlighted the wider implications of the disagreement, arguing that the relationship between the player and manager appears to have deteriorated significantly.
“When they haven’t got any goals or wins, and then that on top of it, it is just another problem the manager could do without,” he added.
“Obviously, he fell out with the manager, and the manager doesn’t like him and vice versa. That is never a healthy situation at any football club.”
The Richarlison situation comes at a particularly difficult time for Tottenham, with De Zerbi already under pressure because of the club’s disappointing start to the Premier League campaign.
Spurs head into Saturday’s meeting with Aston Villa without a league victory from their opening four matches. Even more concerning for the North London side is their failure to score a single Premier League goal during that run.
Tottenham have invested heavily in rebuilding their squad, with more than £320 million reportedly spent over the past year. Shearer believes that level of investment means the club’s hierarchy will expect tangible improvements sooner rather than later.
“Roberto De Zerbi desperately needs a result,” Shearer said.
“The Spurs hierarchy will want to see a return on their investment now. When you spend that type of money, you need to get results quickly, and the longer it goes, the more desperate it becomes. I’m not seeing anything really positive yet to justify the money spent.”
Saturday’s encounter with Aston Villa could therefore carry significant importance for De Zerbi. With a three-week international break scheduled after the fixture, another disappointing result could leave Tottenham facing intense scrutiny while the Premier League takes a temporary pause.
Meanwhile, Richarlison’s exclusion remains another difficult issue for De Zerbi to resolve, with the Brazilian potentially left watching from the sidelines while Tottenham attempt to find their attacking rhythm.
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