Tottenham forward Richarlison has rejected a potential move to the Saudi Pro League because of his desire to play in England and for Brazil.
Reigning champions Al Hilal have been linked with a move for the 27-year-old, who is under contract at Spurs until 2027.
“There has been an offer but my dream of playing for the Brazilian Selecao and in the Premier League speaks louder,” Richarlison told ESPN Brazil. “The money is big but my dream is bigger.”
🎶 Richarlison is on my mind, and he’s Tottenham’s number nine… pic.twitter.com/GuLZUAXw1l
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) September 18, 2023
Richarlison news: Brazil, Spurs priority
Richarlison has contributed 20 goals and eight assists in 48 Brazil appearances, scoring in the final of their 2019 Copa America triumph.
He has netted 14 times in 66 appearances since joining Tottenham for £60 million in July 2022 from Everton, where he had been since 2018, producing 10 goals and five assists in his final season at Goodison Park.
Richarlison scored nine times as Tottenham lost once in nine matches between the start of December and early February, adding a goal and assist in his most recent appearance against Liverpool on May 5.
A calf issue kept him out of Tottenham’s final three games of 2023/24 as part of a run of only one appearance for more than 29 minutes in their closing 13 matches, and he missed the 2024 Copa America with a thigh injury.
With Brazil’s Fifa 2026 World Cup qualification campaign underway, Richarlison appears keen to stay in one of the top five leagues in Europe, with players such as England’s Jordan Henderson seeing their international careers falter after moving to Saudi Arabia.
Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou is yet to have been able to call upon Richarlison during pre-season.
Speaking on July 26, Postecoglou said Richarlison was “working hard” on an individual training programme.
Maddison ➡️ Richarlison ➡️ Son ➡️ Johnson 💫
A beautifully crafted 96th minute winner 😍 pic.twitter.com/ictBeDR8iY
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) February 10, 2024
Tottenham fixtures, schedule
Spurs host Bayern Munich in their final warm-up game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday (5.30pm BST).
They had won all four of their friendlies, including two on their tour of Japan and South Korea, before losing 2-1 to Bayern in Seoul on August 3.
Their Premier League season begins at Leicester City on August 19 (8pm).
