Richarlison stays at Tottenham as Shabab Al Ahli bid fails By Thiago Lemos
2 min read
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Tottenham Hotspur rejected an official transfer proposal from United Arab Emirates club Shabab Al Ahli on September 18, 2026, to sell Brazilian striker Richarlison in London. The Middle Eastern outfit, managed by head coach André Jardine, sought an immediate agreement to finalize the purchase of the player.
Officials from the Dubai-based team capitalized on local market regulations that keep player registrations open across the United Arab Emirates until September 28, 2026. This extended timeframe allowed club negotiators to reactivate previous discussions for the South American forward. The management pushed aggressively to secure the transfer before their domestic deadline expired.
Tottenham Hotspur dismissed the approach immediately while keeping the precise financial terms of the foreign offer entirely confidential.
The London hierarchy intends to keep the Brazilian forward out of competitive action until December in an effort to negotiate his permanent departure under significantly more profitable terms when the European winter transfer window opens in January 2027. English executives vetoed the deal.
The attacker will spend the coming months in England without participating in any competitive fixtures. Tottenham excluded him from their official Premier League squad list for the ongoing campaign. Head coach Roberto De Zerbi also announced that the player will not feature in domestic cup tournaments.
At 29 years old, Richarlison took part in only one match during the current campaign. That single appearance occurred against Brentford on August 22 during the opening weekend of the English league.
Following that match, several attempted transfers collapsed before reaching completion. Discussions broke down regarding potential moves to both Everton and Trabzonspor. A parallel inquiry from Brazilian club Vasco da Gama also fell through during the same timeframe.
Richarlison continues to take part in daily training sessions alongside the rest of the Tottenham Hotspur squad. He remains completely separated from team selection on matchdays.
