Thomas Frank made it clear that Richarlison's absence from Saturday's pre-season win over Reading had nothing to do with the speculation surrounding his future.
The Brazilian forward entered the summer with his future in doubt, and a return to his homeland has emerged as an option. Club World Cup semi-finalists Palmeiras are bullish on signing Richarlison and are reportedly willing to come close to our reported £55m valuation.
The 28-year-old's time in north London has been blighted by injuries since he arrived from Everton in 2022, but he did enjoy a strong end to last season, especially during the latter stages of our run to Europa League glory.
The Brazilian has been involved in pre-season training as usual at Hotspur Way, with Spurs' opening pre-season fixtures potentially key in deciding whether he'll remain at the club beyond the summer. However, Richarlison was absent as the new boys starred in a 2-0 victory at the Madejski.
Thomas Frank insists fitness-building behind Richarlison absence
Dominic Solanke and Will Lankshear split the minutes up top on Saturday, as Frank opted for two different starting XIs to kick-off each half. Richarlison was excluded from the new manager's squad, but Frank insisted that the forward is still working his way back up to full fitness.
Speaking after Saturday's win, the Dane said (via The Spurs Express on X): "Richy has trained well, we’re just building him, that’s the big thing. He trained earlier today, and we expect a full training week next week and, right now, we expect him to play next week.”
The Brazilian sustained an injury in the Europa League final, as he was forced off midway through the second-half and replaced by Son Heung-min.
Importantly, Richarlison should be available for the upcoming friendly against Reading, and an assessment of his future could be made before we fly out to the Far East next week. It's been reported that the 28-year-old doesn't want to leave the club this summer, and will only think about departing if an exceptional offer arrives at his doorstep.
This is a mammoth season for the striker, who will be desperate to stay fit and play regularly in a bid to give him the best possible chance of making Carlo Ancelotti's squad for the 2026 World Cup next summer. Richarlison was the Selecao's starting striker in Qatar four years ago, and his acrobatic strike against Serbia in their opening group game proved to be one of the outstanding moments of the tournament.