Tottenham Hotspur head coach Roberto de Zerbi has revealed that three first-team players — Richarlison, Kevin Danso and Pape Matar Sarr — have all informed the club of their desire to depart, adding another layer of turbulence to a difficult start to the season.
The Italian manager made the admission following Spurs' 2-0 home defeat to Newcastle United, a result that left Tottenham bottom of the Premier League table after two matches without scoring or picking up a single point. None of the three unsettled players featured in the matchday squad for the loss.
Speaking after the game, De Zerbi did not hide the situation surrounding his squad. "Richarlison, I don't know. He said too many times he wants to leave," the coach said. He went on to explain the circumstances involving the other two players: "Danso came to me two days ago and he said wants to leave and Pape Sarr the same, but he suffered a small injury, but he is almost ready to train."
De Zerbi struck a pragmatic tone about how the club would handle any potential departures, stressing that a deal would need to work financially for Tottenham. "I have very good relationships but if they want to leave, they have to bring the solution, the economic solution, to the club, and they can go," he said.
The developments come at a sensitive moment for Tottenham, who have invested more than £300 million in the transfer market this summer as they attempt to rebuild following consecutive 17th-place finishes in the Premier League. Despite the outlay, the team have endured back-to-back defeats to open the campaign, losing to Brentford before falling to Newcastle without scoring in either fixture.
Richarlison's situation is perhaps the most notable given his importance to the side last season. The Brazilian forward finished as Tottenham's leading scorer with 11 goals and played a key role in the club's fight to preserve their Premier League status, which was only confirmed on the final matchday. Earlier this month, De Zerbi had already hinted that the forward's future was uncertain, remarking that