Richarlison left out of Tottenham squad: De Zerbi confirms Brazilian turned down new deal

Roberto De Zerbi confirmed that Richarlison has been left out of Tottenham's Premier League squad after the Brazilian striker turned down a contract extension and repeatedly said he wanted to leave the club. The forward, Tottenham's top scorer in the league last season, trained away from the first team this week and was not included in the 25-man list for the domestic campaign.

• Richarlison missed out on Tottenham's 25-man Premier League squad after refusing to extend his contract and repeatedly asking to leave.
• De Zerbi insists the decision was made by the player: 'He decided everything. Not me, not the club.'
• The club signed Omar Marmoush from Manchester City and brought in Mykhailo Mudryk on loan from Chelsea.
• Xabi Alonso sees Reece James as a future world-class midfielder and plans to use him centrally.
• Enzo Maresca says Enzo Fernández should not be judged by the £125m fee Manchester City paid Chelsea.

De Zerbi explains Richarlison's Tottenham exit

The Italian coach detailed that during pre-season he met with the 29-year-old to offer him an extension, but the player said no. That refusal, combined with his repeated desire to move on, sealed his immediate future at the north London club.

At the beginning of pre-season I spoke to Richarlison and asked him if he wanted to extend his contract because I was happy to keep him with us. He didn't want to. He is a good player, very important last season, and a good guy, but in the end I had to stop putting pressure on players when they show me they want to leave.

De Zerbi said he feels sorry for the Brazilian but stressed that the project must move forward with Dominic Solanke and Omar Marmoush as the main attacking options. Richarlison had been linked with a return to Everton, a move that ultimately did not materialise.

Mudryk and Savio available for Tottenham against Nottingham Forest

Mykhailo Mudryk, signed from Chelsea on deadline day, will be available for Tottenham's trip to Nottingham Forest. De Zerbi expects the Ukrainian winger to play up to 30 minutes despite not featuring in a competitive match since November 2024, when he served a doping suspension.

De Zerbi worked with Mudryk at Shakhtar Donetsk and once said the winger has the potential to win the Ballon d'Or. Now 25 years old and at a top club, the coach believes this is the right moment for him to show what he can offer.

Mudryk loves football. He lives for football. I have never seen many players with his mentality, his belief, his work during the week in training. He works twice as hard as his teammates.

Savio is also available this weekend, but James Maddison is likely to miss out as he recovers from a shoulder fracture. Tottenham have lost back-to-back Premier League games against Brentford and Newcastle without scoring.

Alonso backs Reece James to become a world-class midfielder

Xabi Alonso believes Reece James can become one of the best midfielders in the world. The Chelsea player, usually known as a right-back, has been increasingly used in the middle and the Spanish coach plans to keep him there for much of the season.

James started Chelsea's wins over Fulham in the Premier League and Luton of League One in the Carabao Cup, and also came on during the victory against Brighton. Alonso highlighted his intelligence to link with teammates and his ability to read the best decision before and after receiving the ball.

He has the capacity to help the teammates around him, and that is very important, because he has this presence and respect from the dressing room. When he tells them something, they listen and they follow him. His emotional impact, as captain and leader in the middle, keeps him closer to everything and he can play an important role there.

Chelsea lost Enzo Fernández to Manchester City for £125m on deadline day and could not complete a move for Monaco's Lamine Camara. Alonso played down the situation and said he is satisfied with the balance of his squad. He also hopes the lack of European football will help manage the minutes of a player hampered by knee and hamstring problems, including surgery in 2023.

Unai Emery leaves Harwood-Bellis out of Champions League squad

Unai Emery admitted it was a difficult conversation to tell Taylor Harwood-Bellis he would not be part of Aston Villa's Champions League squad. The centre-back, signed for £25m from Southampton just two days before the deadline, was one of the surprising omissions from the 23-man European list.

The Spanish coach spoke to the 24-year-old on Thursday to explain the decision. There are no financial reasons behind the exclusion, but rather squad balance: Lamare Bogarde and Boubacar Kamara can slot in at centre-back if required. Emery hopes Harwood-Bellis can enter the list from February if the team reaches the knockout stages.

Brian Madjo, aged 17, is also out of the squad due to a foot injury that will keep him sidelined until October, meaning he would only miss the opening game against Club Brugge. Aston Villa also left Donyell Malen out of their European list in February 2025, weeks after his arrival from Borussia Dortmund.

Carrick urges patience over Manchester United transfer window

Michael Carrick admitted that one transfer window cannot provide an instant fix for Manchester United, though he said he was largely happy with the club's business. United spent £155m on midfielders such as Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos and Carlos Baleba, but failed to sign a left-back, leaving Luke Shaw as the only senior option in that position.

United visit Everton on Sunday looking for their first away points after losing at Hull on the opening weekend. There were no signings in the final week of the window despite several inquiries for left-backs. Everton asked about a loan move for Joshua Zirkzee on deadline day, but United considered it too late to source a replacement striker.

Carrick insisted that the goal of returning the club to the top is a process requiring several steps rather than a quick fix. He also praised the flexibility of a squad capable of covering different positions, with the start of United's Champions League campaign coming on Thursday.

Maresca defends Enzo Fernández after Man City arrival

Enzo Maresca urged people not to judge Enzo Fernández by the £125m Manchester City paid Chelsea, a figure that equals the British transfer record. The Italian coach believes it is wrong to assess players based on their price tag, whether at City, Chelsea or any other club.

Maresca highlighted the Argentine's winning mentality and noted that, although he captained Chelsea, he will not be part of City's leadership group, which features Rúben Dias, Erling Haaland, Marc Guéhi and Gianluigi Donnarumma. On his best position, the coach sees him as a six, either deeper or arriving in the box depending on what the game demands.

The midfielder said upon signing that he had always dreamed of playing for a club as big as City, a comment that raised some eyebrows as a possible dig at Chelsea. Maresca brushed it aside and pointed out that both City and Chelsea are elite clubs. He also said several squad members asked him in recent days whether the deal would go through, excited about sharing a dressing room with the Argentinian.