Richarlison left out of Spurs squad for Liverpool cup tie after failed moves

Richarlison will miss Tottenham Hotspur's Carabao Cup tie against Liverpool on Tuesday after head coach Roberto De Zerbi left him out of the squad.

The Brazil striker answered with a short, sharp message online. He shared a screenshot of a social media post with the word "Why?" and a tearful sad-faced emoji, according to BBC Sport.

The call was De Zerbi's. It follows Richarlison's omission from Tottenham's Premier League squad amid a dispute with the club over the remaining nine months of his contract.

His current deal runs out next summer. Tottenham hold the option to trigger a 12-month extension.

The timing is stark. Last week a proposed move to Vasco da Gama in Brazil fell through. Tottenham had agreed a fee with Vasco for the 29-year-old, but Richarlison failed to agree personal terms before the Brazilian transfer window closed on Friday.

That was the second collapsed exit. His proposed £35m deadline-day return to Everton also broke down after he failed to agree personal terms.

De Zerbi said he spoke to Richarlison many times at the start of the season to try to convince him to stay at Tottenham.

Spurs head to Anfield still searching for their first win of the new Premier League season under De Zerbi. They have failed to score in their opening four league matches. That is the first time it has happened in the club's history.

It follows a summer of heavy spending. Tottenham spent more than £300m in the transfer window. They finished 17th in each of the last two seasons.

What makes this stand out is what Tottenham lose without him. Richarlison was the club's leading scorer last season with 12 goals in all competitions. He has scored four goals in seven matches against Liverpool while at Spurs.

For fans, this means a difficult night gets harder. The Carabao Cup, England's secondary knockout cup competition, offers a reset from league form. Instead Spurs travel without their most proven finisher against this opponent.

There is some movement elsewhere in the squad. Defender Destiny Udogie is back for the Anfield clash, while Pedro Porro and Tonali are out, according to Tottenham Hotspur.

Richarlison joined Tottenham from Everton in 2022. He has won 54 caps for Brazil.