It looks like Richarlison will be staying in north London through at least January, after his surprise move back to Everton fell apart at the last minute.
As of yesterday, reports had Richarlison close to agreeing terms on a return to Goodison Park in a £35 million deal that was tied to a broader swap involving Iliman Ndiaye. But once Tottenham’s side of that arrangement collapsed — with Ndiaye opting for Manchester City instead — the whole Richarlison deal unravelled with it.
Everton have since pivoted to other striker options. They were reportedly close to finalising a deal for ex-Spurs target Folarin Balogun earlier today, though that’s now in jeopardy after suggestions he failed his medical. Fabrizio Romano has since reported that the Toffees have opened talks over Manchester United’s Joshua Zirkzee as they continue hunting for attacking reinforcements.
As for Richarlison, he’s raised a few eyebrows with a string of cryptic social media posts over the last few days that hint at some frustration over how things have unfolded. It’s not entirely clear what he means, but he doesn’t seem thrilled with how the move away from Spurs played out.
Tottenham will be hoping this doesn’t sour his relationship with the club going forward. Even with question marks over his long-term future, the 29-year-old could still have a role to play for Roberto De Zerbi in the months ahead — even if a exit ends up happening down the line.
