Tottenham star sued over alleged 'toxic treatment' ahead of North London derby

Tottenham star Richarlison is said to be in a spot of legal bother ahead of Sunday’s North London derby. The Brazilian is currently injured and unlikely to feature on Sunday, and to add to his misery, he is now reportedly being sued by his former assistant.

According to The Sun, the £60million signing’s former assistant, Reginaldo Pereira, was left ‘physically and emotionally broken’ following his dismissal. A source told the publication: “He feels like he was used as a dogsbody, who worked around the clock, and then was unfairly dumped.”

The 60-year-old followed Richarlison from Brazil and supported him across his spells with Watford, Everton and then Tottenham. Pereira says he was never registered as an employee and was transferred £500-per-week for his work, with no holidays or benefits permitted.

In documents seen by The Sun, Pereira said: “I faced long working hours, excessive demands and verbal abuse — especially from Antonio Marcos de Andrade, Richarlison’s father.” He is suing for £95,000 for wrongful dismissal. The 60-year-old said he was handed extra duties like looking after the player’s pets.

Pereira said he was sacked by Richarlison in the player’s home cinema following his change of agents. He added in the document: “After being dismissed I had to seek medical treatment to deal with the negative impacts of this toxic environment. My wife filed for divorce. I’m emotionally shaken and unemployed.”

Richarlison’s spokesperson has said: “The claims are denied but we will be making no further comment in respect of these proceedings.” A preliminary hearing is set in Watford in October.

In the meantime, Richarlison continues to work his way back from an injury and he is not likely to return for another week. The Brazilian was linked with an exit during the summer but ultimately stayed put and will prove a key option for Ange Postecoglou along with he likes of Son Heung-min Dominic Solanke, Timo Werner and Dejan Kulusevski.