Brazil international Paulo Henrique joked that he is trying to help Vasco da Gama lure Tottenham and Newcastle stars to the Serie A from the Premier League. The 29-year-old winger made the light-hearted confession after Brazil’s embarrassing 3-2 defeat to Japan in Tokyo, a friendly that went from cruise control to complete calamity in the second half.
Henrique wants big names in Vasco!
Having opened the scoring with a crisp strike and watching Gabriel Martinelli add another, Henrique’s joy turned to disbelief as Carlo Ancelotti’s men capitulated spectacularly, conceding three goals after the break. However, the defeat did not dampen his spirits. Speaking to after the match, Henrique decided to share a cheeky secret.
“The group welcomed me really well. There were some guys I already knew, who I’d played against in Rio,” he said. "And there’s also Bruno Guimaraes and Richarlison, who are Vasco fans. I’m trying to take both of them to Vasco!”
AdvertisementGettyHenrique can hope for a miracle
While Henrique’s remarks were light-hearted, Guimaraes has long made no secret of his affection for Vasco da Gama. In an interview with , the Newcastle United midfielder spoke openly about his emotional connection to the club and hinted that a homecoming could one day be on the cards.
“I also wanted to fulfil my father’s dream of playing for Vasco," he said. "My whole family is Basque. I grew up in São Januario, I was always a Vasco fan."
However, he expressed his gratitude for another rival and said, " Athletico Paranaense trained me, so I have eternal gratitude for the club. I have a huge gratitude to Athletico, which is a team that I support nowadays too. I think about going back one day, I definitely want to finish my career in Brazil."
Despite his boyhood dreams, Guimaraes is firmly focused on Eddie Howe’s project at Newcastle and has been left visibly frustrated by the club’s transfer dealings this summer, with the £125 million sale of Alexander Isak to Liverpool hitting him hard.
"As a player, we don’t want to lose our best players, if you want to be successful," he said. "We have to improve our squad, and I think we did this very well in this summer, we look forward to go again. I want to win things. I have never changed my mind, and I still look to make history at this club. We have been in the Champions League two times in the last three years, that is unbelievable for us. We have to keep that going. There is a big job for us to do here and I want to be part of this team."
Richarlison remains committed to Spurs
Meanwhile, Richarlison’s future has also been a subject of wild speculation, and Henrique’s comments have only added more fuel to the fire. According to , Orlando City made a shock move to sign the Tottenham striker last summer, viewing him as the face of their franchise ahead of the 2026 World Cup in North America. The MLS side reportedly offered to smash their transfer record, but Spurs’ $46.4 million valuation put an end to talks. It would have been the biggest deal in league history, eclipsing Son Heung-Min’s $26m move to LAFC. He remains under contract with Tottenham until 2027. Richarlison dreams of winning the Ballon d'Or someday and gained social media spotlight when he shared an hilarious image of himself lifting the Golden Ball and captioned it, "this is not fake" along with a laughing emoji. However, to realise the dream of being crowned as the best player on the planet, he must consistently dazzle in the Premier League and inspire Tottenham to domestic and international honours.
Getty Images SportGuimaraes and Richarlison back in Premier League action
Richarlison will be hoping to shake off Brazil’s bruising defeat when he lines up for Tottenham against Aston Villa this Sunday. The striker has endured a rollercoaster few seasons, from injuries and inconsistency to emotional interviews about his mental health, but the time is ripe for him to fire on all cylinders and help Tottenham achieve Premier League glory under Thomas Frank. They have made a bright start to the campaign, winning four of their first seven matches and find themselves just two points adrift of leaders Arsenal. Meanwhile, Guimaraes will be in action against Brighton on Saturday, hoping to keep the Magpies’ European push alive on the South Coast.
