Goal crisis & in drop zone - so why is Spurs' £60m striker stuck in U21s?
After being left out of Tottenham's Premier League squad last month, Richarlison has been left to feature for the under-21s side
Key points
- Richarlison, 29, played for Tottenham's under-21s in the EFL Trophy after being left out of the club's 25-man Premier League squad.
- Spurs are the Premier League's lowest scorers with three goals and sit second bottom of the table.
- Manager Roberto de Zerbi said the decision to omit Richarlison was not his and was the club's responsibility.
Richarlison, the 29-year-old Brazil forward who cost Tottenham £60m from Everton, played for Spurs' under-21s in the EFL Trophy against Cheltenham Town. He scored a half-volley in front of a few hundred supporters and also converted a penalty in a shootout that Tottenham's reserves lost 7-6 after a 2-2 draw.
The appearance was only Richarlison's second of the season and his first since the end of August against Brentford. He was left out of Tottenham's 25-man Premier League squad in September after a proposed return to Everton collapsed at the end of the transfer window.
What De Zerbi said
Manager Roberto de Zerbi said the decision to omit Richarlison from the Premier League squad was not his. "He decided everything alone," De Zerbi said in September, adding that Richarlison had told him at the start of pre-season that he wanted to leave.
De Zerbi said the matter was the club's responsibility and not his job. He added that he had accepted Richarlison's position and had nothing more to say.
He decided everything alone. He spoke with me at the beginning of the pre-season and told me his idea and desire was to leave.
— Roberto de Zerbi
Spurs' scoring problems
Tottenham have scored just three goals this season, the fewest in the top flight, and are second bottom of the table. Richarlison was Spurs' leading league scorer last season with 11 goals in 32 appearances as the club narrowly avoided relegation.
Dominic Solanke's late equaliser against Manchester United on Saturday was the first Premier League goal by a Tottenham forward since Richarlison scored against Chelsea in May. Former England striker Alan Shearer described Solanke as "nowhere near good enough" on Match of the Day, while De Zerbi said he was pleased with the striker's performance and contribution.
