Tottenham Hotspur have completed the signing of Brazilian international Richarlison from Everton for a fee of around £60 million.
A report from the Guardian claims that the Londoners will be paying a guaranteed sum of around £50m along with add-ons for the 25-year-old forward who is expected to add more quality and depth to the Spurs attack.
Antonio Conte’s side boasts two of the best Premier League forwards in Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min, but it is quite evident that they needed to add more depth in that position.
The arrival of the former Everton forward will give the Italian manager more options to work with.
The 25-year-old arrives at the London club having scored 48 goals in 173 Premier League appearances for Watford and Everton. Despite the fact that he has never been a prolific goalscorer, Richarlison brings a lot to the table.
The versatile forward can play anywhere across the front three and his ability to link up with other attacking players on the side will add a new dimension to the Tottenham attack.
The technically gifted forward naturally operates as a left-sided forward who likes to cut in and combine with his teammates via quick passing.
Richarlison played as a centre-forward in 25 matches last season and chipped in with six goals. Meanwhile, seven games as a left-sided forward yielded five goals and three assists.
The Brazilian’s flair and direct running will allow Tottenham to open up deep defences next season and he could complement the likes of Kane and Son with his link-up play and versatility.
The 25-year-old is also a significant threat in the air and he has all the tools to develop into a complete forward under Conte. His tendency to work hard off the ball is likely to impress the Italian manager.
The South American is one of those players who wears his heart on his sleeve and his fighting mentality should endear him to the Tottenham faithful.
The former Everton star still has a lot to work on in terms of his finishing but there is no doubt that he could add vital goals to the Tottenham side next season.
Richarlison managed to score 11 goals and pick up five assists across all competitions for a struggling Everton side last season and it is fair to assume that those numbers will only improve when he is playing alongside top players at Tottenham.
Apart from his obvious quality as a player, the Brazilian will add some much-needed tactical versatility to the side as well. With Richarlison, Son and Kane as his prime attacking options, Conte will be able to employ a number of formations depending on the opposition.
Tottenham were excellent during the second half of the Premier League season last year and there is no reason why they cannot mount a serious title challenge next season with the signings they have made.
The 25-year-old is far from entering his peak and he is likely to improve under the management of a top-class coach like Conte.
Furthermore, the Brazilian is well settled in the Premier League and will likely make an immediate impact at the London club next season. The reported £60m outlay might look like a steep one right now but the player has all the tools to justify the fee in the long run.
All is fair in Love and Football Matches
All good points and a worthwhile counterpoint to Harry’s scepticism. Time will tell who is right, but to my mind there is more reason to be hopeful than not this time.
Another aspect to Richarlison’s game you didn’t mention is the psychological side. In short: he’s a wind-up merchant and a canny user of the ‘dark arts’ Conte is known to encourage. He gets under the skin of the opposition, dives, draws fouls, infuriates, and breaks up rhythms. It may not be noble or pretty, but I say great teams need a selection of both noble knights and cunning assassins. We saw plenty of these dark arts in the City game, and it was used to wicked effect against Arsenal getting Holding sent off. Arsenel are still whining about how ‘unfair’ that game was. Heh. I suspect his capability to psychologically affect opposing teams and fans will be a tactical lever Conte will turn to time and again.