It’s fair to say Richarlison has endured a mixed time at Tottenham Hotspur so far.
The Brazil international cost a whopping £60m from Everton in the summer of 2022 (per BBC Sport) and arrived fresh from notching double-figure goals in three of his last four Premier League campaigns.
However, a mixture of injuries and the likes of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min providing a barrier to starts resulted in a tough first season in north London.
Richarlison managed just one Premier League goal 27 appearances in 2022/23, though he did add two more in the Champions League.
Last season marked an improvement for Richarlison, who scored 11 goals in 28 Premier League appearances.
But injuries continue to plague the 27-year-old, who has scored just once in seven appearances across all competitions this season.
The result is that Spurs fans remain divided over his quality, even if his work rate and commitment never falter.
James Maddison reveals Richarlison antics
Spurs teammate James Maddison has offered a unique insight into Richarlison’s role within Ange Postecoglou’s squad.
Even with things not going so well on the pitch, Richarlison continues to be a source of comic relief off it.
“Yeah, great group. We’ve got a good balance of British lads, and we’ve also got a big South American group and they are all hilarious,” said Maddison (via Spurs Web).
“Someone like Richarlison, who doesn’t speak the language brilliantly but is absolutely hilarious in the group chat, saying English phrases he’s learnt that just make no sense at any time, then he will just throw it in and make you think that was random – he’s funny.”
What next for Richarlison?
When fully fit, most would agree Spurs’ best front three is Son Heung-min, Dominic Solanke and Brennan Johnson.
With that in mind, Richarlison may continue to find starts difficult to come by in the Premier League.
At 27 years old and with 20 goals in 48 senior caps for Brazil to his name, you wouldn’t blame him for feeling like he should be a regular starter in the Premier League.
The fact is, he may have to move elsewhere to rediscover the form that made him such a hit at Everton.
