Tottenham Hotspur forward Richarlison has published a cryptic message on social media as he closes in on a £35million return to Everton.
The 29-year-old Brazilian is in line for a reunion with the Merseyside club in a deal that will see striker Iliman Ndiaye join Tottenham for £60million.
Richarlison was left out of manager Roberto De Zerbi's squad for Spurs' 2-0 home defeat against Newcastle United on Saturday after expressing his desire to leave the North London club.
The forward appeared to comment on his impending exit by sharing an enigmatic photograph on Instagram showing a wall with red and black text. The message, translated into English, reads: "I am the villain of many poorly told stories."
Richarlison added a thinking face emoji to the post, which was liked by his Tottenham team-mate Xavi Simons, adding further intrigue to his situation.
De Zerbi confirms transfer requests
Speaking after the defeat to Newcastle United, De Zerbi confirmed that the Brazilian attacker had repeatedly asked to leave the club before the close of the transfer window.
De Zerbi explained that Richarlison, who has one year remaining on his contract at Tottenham, was among several players seeking a move away from the club.
De Zerbi said: "Richarlison he said too many times that he wanted to leave."
The Italian manager revealed that defender Kevin Danso and midfielder Pape Matar Sarr had also asked to depart during the current transfer period.
De Zerbi said: "[Kevin] Danso came to me two days ago and said he wanted to leave. [Pape Matar] Sarr the same but he also suffered a small injury but he is almost ready to train."
Return to Everton after London spell
A move back to Everton would mark a second spell on Merseyside for Richarlison, who previously spent four seasons with the Premier League club between 2018 and 2022.
During his first stint with Everton, the forward scored 53 goals in 152 appearances across all competitions, establishing himself as a key player before moving to London.
Tottenham originally signed the Brazilian from Everton in a £60million transfer in 2022. Since making the move to Spurs, Richarlison has scored 32 goals in 134 matches for the club.
His major highlight in a Tottenham shirt came when he started in their 1-0 Europa League final victory over Manchester United in 2025, helping the club lift the European trophy.
