Tottenham told to 'terminate' Richarlison's contract after training ground bust-up

Richarlison's contract at Tottenham Hotspur should be terminated before the situation grows out of hand.

That is the opinion of former senior Tottenham scout, Bryan King, speaking exclusively to Football Insider.

The 29-year-old has just one year remaining on his contract in North London, but has rejected every chance to leave this summer.

Richarlison looked set to return to Everton at the end of the transfer window but could not agree personal terms, and the same issue prevented a move to Vasco da Gama last week.

The Brazilian is also said to be exploring his legal options to get out of the remainder of his contract, with the situation having turned ugly.

Tottenham reportedly hold an option of adding an additional 12 months to Richarlison's contract, but it remains to be seen what action they choose to take.

Richarlison situation creating 'bad atmosphere'

Just last season, Richarlison was a rare standout in an extremely dismal season for Tottenham.

The Brazilian scored 12 goals and provided five assists across all competitions, effectively keeping his team in the Premier League with his contributions.

Yet the relationship between Richarlison and Tottenham has soured significantly in a matter of weeks.

"I'd terminate his contract if he's that unhappy with everything, because he's obviously not having a good influence on the rest of the squad, or the atmosphere at the training ground," King told Football Insider.

"That's for sure, and in that situation, legal situation, either they want him out of the club or they don't. And if they want him out of the club, then you sit and discuss some form of settlement on his contract. 

"Otherwise, he's hanging around the club. What happens then is, he'll be at loggerheads with the manager. De Zerbi will say: 'Well, look, if you're going to have this attitude, you train with the youth team. I don't want to see you in the mornings.

"'You can train with the youth team in the afternoons.' That generates a bad atmosphere amongst the rest of the players and the club."

What Roberto De Zerbi has said about Richarlison situation

Richarlison has been left out of the Tottenham squad since the opening day, but De Zerbi has claimed that the decision was not his.

"Richarlison is a good guy, a very good guy. I spoke with him a lot of times and I spent time to convince him to stay, but if you ask me, I know the truth," the Italian said last week.

"I know what happened in the last month, the last 45 days, and it's clear, but I'm not frustrated. If I had decided myself to leave him outside of the squad, I would have regrets, but the decision has not even been taken by the club.

"It has been a consequence of what I told you already that he has decided. I'm sorry because it could be different. Even the end of the story. It could have been better, or it was much better [with] Richarlison inside the list, happy to stay, maybe to extend his contract, because he is still an important player.

"He was important last season, we can't forget, but we can't forget also the last 45 days."