Richarlison's Anger After Carabao Cup Omission

Richarlison has gone public with his anger after being left out of Tottenham’s squad for Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup tie against Liverpool, sharpening the focus on his increasingly fragile future at the club.

The Brazil forward posted a screenshot of a social media graphic highlighting his omission and added a single-word caption: “Why?” followed by a tearful, sad-faced emoji. It was a pointed, emotional response from a player who already finds himself on uncertain ground in north London.

His frustration comes just days after a proposed move to Vasco da Gama collapsed. Sources indicated Tottenham and the Brazilian club had agreed a fee for the 29-year-old, only for the deal to stall when personal terms could not be finalised before Brazil’s transfer window shut on Friday. A route home appeared open. It closed just as quickly.

De Zerbi: ‘I can’t go every day to pray for him to stay’

Roberto de Zerbi did not hide his side of the story when he faced the media on Monday. The Tottenham head coach revealed he had pushed hard to keep Richarlison at the start of the season.

“At the start of this season, I spoke to him many times to convince him to stay and he didn't want to,” De Zerbi said. “I can't go every day to pray for him to stay.

“What I have done at the beginning of this season has been to speak with him and to propose an extension of the contract. If he said, 'no thank you,' I finished my job.”

That line felt decisive. De Zerbi made clear he sees his responsibility as having ended once the offer was rejected. From there, the dynamic shifted from persuasion to distance.

The coach also hinted at deeper issues behind the scenes over the past month and a half.

“I know what happened in the last 45 days. It's not right if I explained. It's not my behaviour. The relationship, the problem is between the player and the club.”

A forward on the outside

Those words, paired with Richarlison’s public “Why?”, paint a picture of a fractured relationship and a player now firmly on the outside looking in on a big domestic cup tie.

Tottenham face Liverpool without a striker who once looked central to their long-term plans, a forward now caught between a manager who feels he has done his part, a club that tried to move him on, and a market that briefly opened a door before slamming it shut.

The next window will not open for months. The next move in this stand-off may come far sooner.