Richarlison pushes for Tottenham exit as potential Everton return takes fresh twist

Richarlison is pushing to secure his departure from Tottenham, with the striker’s lawyer reportedly travelling to London in an attempt to resolve his future.

Vasco da Gama remain interested in signing the Brazilian before their transfer deadline, but Richarlison would reportedly prefer to terminate his Tottenham contract and become a free agent.

That could have interesting implications for Everton after the 29-year-old recently came close to returning to his former club.

According to O Globo, Richarlison's lawyer travelled to London on Friday morning specifically to try to find a solution with Tottenham.

Contract termination is said to be the striker's preferred outcome.

Vasco are attempting to negotiate a conventional transfer instead, partly to prevent the situation between Tottenham and Richarlison developing into a potential legal dispute.

However, they must also persuade the forward to accept their proposal.

Richarlison does not appear interested in committing his long-term future to Brazilian football, with his priority instead being to regain control over where he plays next.

Vasco have reportedly offered several incentives in an effort to convince Richarlison.

Those include an increased signing-on fee and potentially giving the striker a percentage of any future transfer.

Importantly, the proposed agreement would also provide Richarlison with a route out of Vasco following the conclusion of the Brazilian season.

ESPN Brazil journalist Bruno Andrade reports that the forward has never been particularly interested in making a long-term return to Brazil.

Instead, a short spell with Vasco only became an option when the possibility of terminating his Tottenham contract emerged.

Under that scenario, Richarlison could play in Brazil for several months before looking for another opportunity in Europe or the Middle East in January.

Everton are not directly mentioned in the latest Brazilian reports, so there is currently no claim that the Toffees are negotiating another move for Richarlison.

However, the circumstances surrounding his Tottenham exit inevitably make Everton worth monitoring.

Richarlison had been eager to return to his former club earlier in the window before a potential deal collapsed.

His preference to become a free agent rather than commit permanently to Vasco could therefore leave the Premier League open as an option when the January transfer window arrives.

If Richarlison successfully terminates his Tottenham contract, Everton would potentially be able to revisit the situation without having to negotiate a transfer fee with Spurs.

For now, though, that remains a possibility rather than a confirmed plan.

Time is running out if Vasco are to complete a deal.

The Brazilian club need everything finalised before their domestic transfer deadline to register Richarlison for the remainder of 2026.

If an agreement is not reached in time, the striker could still negotiate his departure from Tottenham afterwards.

In that scenario, however, he would be unable to join Vasco immediately and could instead remain without a club until the European market reopens in January.

That possibility appears significant given Richarlison's reported preference to have complete freedom over his next destination.

The immediate focus is on whether Tottenham, Richarlison and Vasco can reach an agreement before the Brazilian transfer deadline.

If Vasco cannot complete the move, Richarlison's representatives could continue negotiating a contract termination with Spurs. Becoming a free agent would then give the striker considerably greater control over his future and could potentially reopen opportunities in the Premier League when January arrives.

Given how close Richarlison reportedly came to returning to Everton this summer, developments on Merseyside will be particularly interesting to follow.