Roberto De Zerbi, Tottenham Hotspur's manager, believes that Sandro Tonali, the team's midfielder, needs time to adapt.
Tottenham is preparing to face Nottingham Forest in the third round of the English Premier League.
De Zerbi said at the pre-match press conference: "Perhaps Tonali needs more time to understand the new club. I remember his struggles during his first season at Milan, and in his second season, they won Serie A."
He added, "We want him to perform well from the first season, but perhaps it's different for a new player, in a new environment, and with a new dressing room."
Regarding the situation of team striker Richarlison, he responded, "He decided everything; neither I nor the club did. I was not responsible for the situation. He made all decisions alone. He spoke to me at the beginning of the preseason, told me his idea, and expressed his desire to leave."
The Tottenham coach continued, "We went to bring another striker, and as I said at the start of the preseason, I only want to keep players who wish to stay and have a genuine passion to remain here... Richarlison's message since the beginning of this season has been very clear, and I accepted that."
Speaking about the Turkish offer to sign the player, he stated, "I don't know if there was an offer from Turkey or if the club accepted such an offer."
Fabrizio Romano, the transfer specialist journalist, reported that Trabzonspor reached an agreement with Richarlison on personal terms to bolster the Turkish team's attack.
The Brazilian striker was removed from the squad list for the 2026-27 season in preparation for his departure from the London Spurs.
Richarlison joined Tottenham in the summer of 2022, playing 134 matches and scoring 32 goals. Prior to that, he spent four seasons wearing Everton's jersey and one season with Watford.
De Zerbi also discussed his relationship with Ukrainian player Mykhailo Mudryk, whom he reunited with at Tottenham: "That season in Ukraine was full of emotions; we were building a great team, but then the war broke out, and everything ended."
He added, "We stayed in touch with him and the rest of the players, and now we must first assess his physical condition and how he can adapt to a new team and a different playing style."
Mudryk played under De Zerbi at the Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk.
Mudryk delivered outstanding performances with Shakhtar, appearing in 44 matches and contributing to 29 goals. He also helped the team win the Ukrainian Super Cup in the 2021/22 season and contributed to securing the Ukrainian League title in the 2022/23 season. In the same year, he received the Ukrainian Player of the Year award.
Mudryk transferred to Chelsea in January 2023, participating in 73 matches and recording 21 goal contributions. However, he faced a suspension due to doping before returning to the pitch again.
Tottenham completed the procedures to sign Ukrainian Mykhailo Mudryk on loan from Chelsea until the end of the season.
The Tottenham manager announced that all his players are ready to face Nottingham, following James Maddison's return to training on Thursday.
Tottenham lost in the first two rounds, remaining without any points, while Nottingham managed to earn a single point from a draw and a loss.
