Richarlison stuck in U21s while Tottenham can't score — SkimNews
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- Richarlison scored a thumping half-volley and a penalty for Tottenham's U21s in an EFL Trophy group match against League Two side Cheltenham Town, playing in only his second appearance of the season and his first since late August.
- The £60m striker was left out of Tottenham's 25-man Premier League squad in September after deadline-day moves to Everton and Brazilian side Vasco da Gama both collapsed, with manager Roberto de Zerbi insisting the omission was the club's decision, not his, saying the player "decided everything alone."
- Spurs sit second bottom in the Premier League with just three goals scored — the division's lowest — despite spending roughly £300m on new recruits in the summer transfer window.
- Dominic Solanke's late equalizer at Manchester United was the first Premier League goal from a Tottenham forward since Richarlison netted against Chelsea in May, prompting Alan Shearer on Match of the Day to call the £55m summer signing "nowhere near good enough."
- EFL rules barring non-registered players from the Carabao Cup also kept Richarlison out of Tottenham's tie against Liverpool, leaving the EFL Trophy's group stage — which Spurs' reserves lost 7-6 on penalties after a 2-2 draw — as one of his only avenues for competitive minutes before January.
- Richarlison was Tottenham's leading scorer last season with 11 goals in 32 league appearances, narrowly keeping the club out of a relegation battle.
Why it matters: Tottenham's £300m summer rebuild has produced the worst attack in the Premier League — three goals in six games and second-bottom in the table — yet squad-registration rules leave last season's 12-goal leading scorer Richarlison ineligible for league or Carabao Cup duty, forcing the £60m striker into EFL Trophy reserve football while a misfiring Dominic Solanke leads the line.
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