FIFA loan limit stops Richarlison’s near‑Vasco move
Striker Richarlison revealed he was on the brink of joining Vasco until December, but a FIFA rule limiting the number of international loans for Tottenham halted the deal, leaving the Brazilian club’s São Januário stadium without the promised signing for the upcoming season.
Negotiations and priority
On the night of Friday (11) the forward posted a video thanking the club’s directors and supporters, saying he had intended to defend Vasco until December. He explained that discussions had progressed over several days and that Vasco retained priority even as other teams showed interest.
Richarlison told supporters, “Estivemos muito perto de eu estar assinando com o Vasco, time do meu coração e da minha família. Foi por pouco… Tinha deixado bem claro nas conversas que eu queria defender o Vasco até dezembro”, adding that he had negotiated directly with Pedrinho and Felipe.
He also confirmed that other possibilities emerged, but he kept the Cruzmaltino as his first choice, stating, “Apareceram outros clubes e outras propostas, mas eu deixei bem claro que a prioridade era deles até dezembro”.
FIFA loan limit stops move
The final obstacle was a Regra da FIFA that caps the number of players a club may loan to foreign federations at six. Tottenham had already reached that limit, meaning the loan to Vasco could not be completed; Richarlison summed it up: “Infelizmente o Tottenham excedeu o limite de empréstimos”.
Fans in Rio prepared an airport reception and flooded the striker with messages, asking when he would land. He replied, “Me perguntaram até o horário em que eu estaria no aeroporto para que pudessem fazer festa”, and thanked them for the outpouring of support.
Despite the setback, Richarlison promised a future return, saying, “Vamos deixar para uma próxima, em breve estarei na Barreira, em São Januário. Vocês sabem do carinho que tenho por vocês e um dia vou realizar esse sonho que é meu, do meu avô, da minha família”. He concluded, “Estou falando de coração para vocês: eu queria muito estar no Vasco… em breve estarei vestindo a camisa do Vasco”.