ENFIELD, England -- Tottenham head coach Roberto De Zerbi has stood by his past prediction of Mykhailo Mudryk being a player that can win the Ballon d'Or if he can realise his potential.
Mudryk joined Spurs on a season-long loan on deadline day which sources have told ESPN can be made permanent for £75 million ($101m) should the north London club decide to activate their option.
The loan deal reunited De Zerbi with a player he was coaching at Shakhtar Donetsk when the Ukrainian caught the eye of some of Europe's top clubs.
During his time in charge of Brighton, the Italian was asked about Mudryk shortly before he signed for Chelsea in January 2023 in a deal that could still rise to €100m if all add-ons are met. At the time De Zerbi tipped his former player as a future Ballon d'Or winner, but Mudryk has struggled to live up to the billing during his time in England.
"We spent a very particular season together in Shakhtar," De Zerbi told a news conference on Friday. "When the war started, we were together. And when I spoke about the Ballon d'Or, I was very clear. Maybe my English is not so good, but I was very clear because I was speaking about the potential of the player. The potential of the player can be the same and can respect the prediction or not.
"Until now, he has had many problems. The last problem, the suspension for whatever was the problem, but the [outcome] is clear. And now his challenge is to respect all his qualities because he's a great player. He has to leave this season in a right way, not too [much] pressure, but it is the right moment for him to show [his ability] because if Chelsea paid €100m four years ago ... I think they brought a lot of big, big players and to spend €100m, I think they thought very well about the qualities of Mudryk."
Given Mudryk's lengthy absence from elite football, De Zerbi said he was not sure when the 25-year-old might be ready to start a game for Spurs, but did say he is ready to play "20, 15, 30 minutes" against Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
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Richarlison close to Spurs exit?
Mudryk was one of 10 new players signed by Spurs during the summer, but it was a potential exit for Richarlison that threatened to overshadow the end of their transfer window.
After a move to Everton fell through, Richarlison said in a post on Instagram that "never again will anyone decide my future for me" and asked Spurs to show "respect" over his transfer wish.
Spurs have since left Richarlison out of their Premier League squad for the first half of the 2026-27 season.
Sources have told ESPN the Brazilian has been told he is not part of De Zerbi's plans and that the decision was communicated to the 29-year-old before the transfer deadline to give him the opportunity to find a new club.
"I think Richarlison, he decided everything alone," De Zerbi told reporters. "He spoke with me at the beginning of the preseason. He told me his idea was to leave and then we went to bring another striker.
"And like I said at the beginning of the preseason, I want to keep just the players that want to stay with the right passion to stay here. And then for everything's other problem, it's not my business, it's not my job, it's responsibility of the club.
"Nothing more. I can't say nothing because I didn't decide anything. The message of Richarlison from the beginning of this season has been very clear. I accepted that and nothing for me, nothing."
When asked it was his call to omit Richarlison from Spurs' Premier League squad, De Zerbi replied: "No, it's not my decision. It's the normal decision... If you don't want to stay, why I have to keep you on the list? Why you have to stay?
"I'm not Vinai [Spurs CEO Vinai Venkatesham] or the sporting director. I'm the coach and I would like to work with the people who are hungry if they don't play, but happy to stay in this club.
"I'm just working for my club. The players, if they don't want to stay, it's not my problem. The price on the transfer market is not my problem. You have to speak with the club, but it's not right when the player wants to leave and the club doesn't want to sell."
There is still the possibility that Richarlison could move abroad, with some country's transfer windows remaining open. Türkiye's window closes at midnight local time (10 p.m. BST/5 p.m. ET) and Trabzonspor have been credited with interest in the striker.
"I don't know if there is an offer from Türkiye," De Zerbi said on Friday. "I don't know if the club accept this offer. I know there was an offer before the end of the transfer market closed and he didn't accept, but for me nothing changed."
