Richarlison's contract at Tottenham expires at the end of this season, and the Brazilian had been pushing for an exit ever since the summer window, only for multiple transfer deadlines to pass without a move materialising. With the major European windows now closed, a return to Brazil became the forward's clear priority before his home country's own transfer market shut.
Vasco da Gama submitted a bid for Richarlison shortly before the Brazilian window closed, and the deal appeared to be progressing well. The BBC subsequently reported that the move had collapsed, attributing the breakdown to a disagreement over personal terms. Richarlison, however, has now publicly disputed that explanation.
"I received other offers, but I made it very clear that I wanted to join Vasco until December," Richarlison said on Instagram. "Unfortunately, Tottenham put a stop to the loan, and that's why it didn't happen.
"I expect to visit Sao Januario and Barreira soon, and you know how much I care about you all."
The proposed move was a loan rather than a permanent transfer, though whether any temporary arrangement can still be revisited later in the season remains to be seen given Tottenham's stated position on the matter. Richarlison went on to reflect on his long-standing desire to represent the club he has supported since childhood.
"One day I'm going to make this dream come true; it's my dream, my grandfather's dream and my family's dream," he said. "I'm speaking from the heart now, because I really wanted to play for Vasco."
The collapsed move leaves Richarlison's immediate future at Tottenham unresolved, with the 29-year-old already left out of the club's Premier League squad amid a wider breakdown in his relationship with the north London club this year.
He was also the subject of a separate proposed deadline-day move to Everton worth £35 million, which broke down over personal terms, while head coach Roberto De Zerbi has since spoken candidly about the difficulties of the situation, saying he had tried to convince the forward to stay but respected that the decision was ultimately out of his hands.