Tottenham to accept Richarlison bid with transfer replacement lined up
Tottenham will accept a “decent-sized offer” for Richarlison this summer if they are able to sign a new number nine, according to Alan Hutton.
The Brazilian struggled to hit the heights expected of him in his second season in North London, as a variety of injury and fitness-related issues limited him to just 18 Premier League starts where he scored 11 goals.
Reports suggest clubs in the Saudi Pro League have discussed the prospect of signing the forward this summer [talkSPORT, 12 May], however, the 27-year-old has since insisted that he has no intention of leaving the club [Caught Offside, 25 May].
Although Hutton doesn’t believe the Lilywhites are in a position to force Richarlison out of Postecoglou’s side, he thinks Spurs may be willing to take a slight financial hit on him if they can bring in a “top” centre-forward.
“You have to keep him,” Hutton exclusively told Tottenham News.
“I know he’s got a number of years left on his contract, they paid big money for him and he’ll be on big wages.
“Has it totally worked out the way they would have wanted? No, he’s probably not scored the goals they thought he would have, which is unfortunate for them.
“It falls down to who is going to come in for him and How much are they going to get for him? Are they going to get their money back? Probably not.
“If they bring somebody in, if they’re looking for a top target to play that striker role his minutes might be reduced even further this season.
“It’s one of those where if they can get a decent-sized offer for him, I think they would take it as long as they’ve got somebody lined up to come in and fill that centre-forward role.”
Will Tottenham and Ange Postecoglou sell Richarlison during the summer transfer window?
As Hutton suggests, neither Postecoglou nor Daniel Levy can force Richarlison out of the club if he doesn’t want to leave, especially as he is nowhere near the end of his initial five-year contract in North London.
But with Timo Werner re-signing on loan and a number of big-name strikers being linked with a summer move to Spurs, you have to wonder if the Brazilian will feel as though he has to leave to be able to play regular first-team football.
In a sense, Spurs would be forcing him out of the club inadvertently by reducing his involvement. It won’t be the perfect solution and it will harm the Lilywhites financially, but it would be the best move for all parties.
Hopefully, Postecoglou will make an early decision about Richarlison’s future early in the window so the speculation around him can be brought to an end.
In other Tottenham news, Postecoglou has been urged to make a call over Manor Solomon’s future amid exit links at Spurs
For more Tottenham news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.