Tottenham Hotspur’s goal‑scoring crisis has reached a new low, as the club’s £60 million striker, Richarlison, finds himself playing for the under‑21s rather than the first team. The 29‑year‑old, who joined Spurs from Everton in 2022, scored a half‑volley against Cheltenham Town in the EFL Trophy, a match that drew only a few hundred supporters. It was his second appearance of the season, the first being a Premier League game against Brentford in August. The forward has yet to make a league start since then, and his lone goal this campaign has left Tottenham at the bottom of the table and the lowest scorers in the Premier League.
The situation is complicated by a failed transfer saga. Richarlison had been in talks to return to Everton, but the move collapsed on deadline day after the player’s personal terms could not be agreed. A subsequent attempt to sign for Brazilian club Vasco da Gama also fell through. Manager Roberto de Zerbi said he had no role in the decision to exclude the striker from the 25‑man squad, noting that Richarlison had expressed a desire to leave at the start of pre‑season. “He decided everything alone,” de Zerbi explained, adding that the club’s responsibility was to bring in a new striker and keep those who wanted to stay. The forward’s absence from the squad also meant he was ineligible for the Carabao Cup tie against Liverpool, as only registered league players can participate.
Spurs’ offensive woes are stark. In the first six Premier League games of the season, the team has failed to score, and the only goal from a Tottenham forward came from Dominic Solanke’s late equaliser at Old Trafford. Solanke, who joined the club for £55 million from Bournemouth, has scored just 13 league goals in two seasons. Former England striker Alan Shearer criticised Solanke’s quality on Match of the Day, calling him “nowhere near good enough.” De Zerbi, however, praised Solanke’s contribution and his ability to salvage a point despite the team being reduced to ten men.
Richarlison’s solitary goal in the EFL Trophy group stage was a reminder of his past form. He has scored 27 Premier League goals in 103 appearances for Spurs, and was the club’s top scorer last season with 11 goals in 32 matches. His inclusion in the first‑team squad would have offered a more direct solution to the team’s lack of firepower than seeing him play in lower‑tier competitions. With the EFL Trophy offering limited competitive minutes before January, the forward’s future at Tottenham remains uncertain.
As Tottenham continue to search for a reliable striker after spending £300 million on new recruits, the decision to keep Richarlison out of the Premier League squad is increasingly difficult to justify. The club’s next steps will likely involve either reintegrating the Brazilian into the senior squad or exploring further transfer options to address the persistent goal‑scoring deficiency.