Registration rules have closed the door on Vasco da Gama’s initial plan to sign Tottenham striker Richarlison on loan. But that hasn’t ended the Brazilian club’s attempt to get him.
Instead, Vasco are now trying to find a way to buy Richarlison before Brazil’s transfer window closes on Friday.
Globo Esporte bring the latest details from behind the scenes and explain why the original idea fell apart.
According to multiple sources, Tottenham told Vasco a loan isn’t possible because Spurs have already exceeded their limit of players loaned out this season.
There’s also the fact Richarlison’s contract expires in 2027.
That forced Vasco to change the plan completely.
Vasco trying to build permanent deal
On Wednesday, we covered claims that Vasco had signalled a permanent offer to Tottenham and were waiting for an answer. Globo Esporte now explain how they got to that point.
A loan was Vasco’s preferred solution. Once Tottenham ruled that out, the Brazilian club started looking at ways to finance a permanent transfer. And that’s much harder.
The figures Tottenham discussed with Everton were far beyond what Vasco could normally afford. So Vasco therefore need Spurs to accept considerably less than they could have demanded elsewhere.
They think Richarlison’s situation gives them some hope. The striker isn’t in Roberto De Zerbi’s plans and has been left out of Tottenham’s Premier League squad. Globo Esporte say he doesn’t want to continue training separately and wants to leave.
More importantly for Vasco, he’s very excited about joining them.
Two ideas to convince Tottenham
Vasco’s football department are studying different ways to make the numbers work. One would see them pay Tottenham a smaller amount upfront and spread the remaining payments over the coming years.
The other is Vasco could buy Richarlison and include a buyback option for Tottenham as part of the agreement. That would give Spurs the possibility of taking the Brazilian back in the future for an agreed fee.
There’s no indication yet that Tottenham have accepted either structure. For Vasco, though, finding something creative is really the only option.
Vasco have until Friday to turn a loan that Spurs couldn’t sanction into a permanent transfer they can actually afford. The buyback idea may be their most creative attempt at finding some middle ground.
