Behind-the-scenes blow: Tottenham respond harshly to Richarlison

What's the story?

Tottenham Hotspur have left Richarlison out of their Premier League squad this season, leaving the Brazilian forward off the permitted 25-man list after deciding he falls outside manager Roberto De Zerbi's plans.

British press reports suggest Richarlison had hoped to rejoin Everton in the closing days of the transfer window, hunting for the form that made his name in English football. The two parties never got a deal over the line. The player stays at Tottenham despite wanting out.

Being frozen out of the Premier League list only deepens the trouble for a forward who admitted just days ago that others had made many of the big calls about his career on his behalf, a nod to how little control he feels he has held over his path in recent years.

De Zerbi has no place for him this season. That leaves both player and club scrambling for a solution over the coming weeks, particularly with the window still open across a number of leagues.

Saudi Arabia and Turkey shape up as two possible escape routes. A move to a club in either could still go through before their windows shut, drawing a line under his messy situation at Tottenham.