Tottenham Hotspur hosts Everton FC on Saturday, in a matchup that could honestly be classified as the Richarlison Cup. That’s because the Brazilian striker was set to leave Tottenham, and make a return to Everton, in the closing days of this summer transfer window, but he couldn’t agree on personal terms with the Merseyside club. Richarlison would have moved for a transfer fee of £35 million, but because the deal collapsed at the last minute, he stayed put instead.
Tottenham Hotspur vs Everton FC FYIs
Kickoff: Sat. Sept. 12, 5:30pm
Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, UK
Richarlison also went on blast on social media, hitting out at his own club, and that led to White Hart Lane freezing him out.
He’s no longer in the squad, at all, and things have escalated from there.
Richarlison is seeking an outright release from his Tottenham contract, which still has nine months left to run, plus a club option to extend another year. THFC are not interested in just simply letting him go, and that further complicates matters.
Vasco de Gama, a club his native Brazil, are said to be interested in signing him.
Rest of the Team News for Both Sides
Elsewhere James Maddison (shoulder injury) resumed training this week, so his status looks good for this game. However, the deadline day signing (on loan) from Chelsea, Ukrainian winger Mykhailo Mudryk, heads to the injury list now.
His ankle ligament problem will keep him out for a few weeks.
And then finally, Dejan Kulusevski is getting closer towards a return, but it almost certainly will not happen in this specific game.
Sweden manager Graham Potter, said of Kulu’s status, on Tuesday:
“He is actually very close. I am so impressed with him, how he has handled his injury. Of course, we have to be careful with him. I hope he comes with us (Sweden), but we have to talk to Dejan and Tottenham first…”
The winger/forward has been out of action for close to 500 days, due to a severe knee cartilage and patella issue.
As for Everton there is little to nothing report, on the team news front. Christian Norgaard remains out while James Garner had been a concern, but his issue is just cramping, so he’ll be fine.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.