Richarlison at Tottenham: £60m striker stuck in U21s

Richarlison (Tottenham) has barely featured in the Premier League squad after being left out of the club’s 25-man list in September. He has managed just one top-flight appearance this term, with his previous outing coming at the end of August versus Brentford.

The Brazilian’s latest run-out was with Tottenham’s under-21s in the EFL Trophy, where he scored in a 2-2 draw against Cheltenham Town. He also added a penalty during the shootout, which Spurs’ reserves lost 7-6.

Manager Roberto De Zerbi insisted the omission wasn’t his decision, saying: "He decided everything alone" and later, "I can’t say nothing because I didn’t decide anything." That came after Richarlison pushed for a move in the transfer window, which ultimately broke down, alongside another later attempt that failed over personal terms with Vasco da Gama.

With Spurs second-bottom in the league and just three goals, the choice to keep Richarlison away from league plans is becoming tougher to justify after the £60m deal from Everton.