Ange Postecoglou more likely to offload misfiring Tottenham star to Saudi next summer rather than January
Richarlison, Dejan Kulusevski celebrate against Sheff Utd
A fresh report has revealed that Ange Postecoglou is more likely to offload a struggling Tottenham star next summer than try and cash in during the January transfer window.
It’s fair to say that Richarlison’s time in north London so far has been nothing short of disastrous, given the £60million Spurs splashed on the Brazilian to get him in the summer of 2022.
The 26-year-old scored just three goals in 35 games in his first season at the club and netted twice in 11 outings this time around before undergoing groin surgery that will keep him on the sidelines for some time.
There were high hopes for Richarlison when he first arrived at the club, but he continues to look a player completely lacking in confidence. Indeed, Ange Postecoglou opted to switch Son Heung-min to the central striking role early in the current campaign due to the Brazil international’s struggles.
Reports have since emerged that Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Ittihad made a move for Richarlison during the summer transfer window, although Tottenham were unwilling to entertain that approach at the time.
However, Al-Ittihad are expected to reignite their interest in Richarlison in January to see if Postecoglou and Daniel Levy are ready to bite on a transfer.
But according to journalist Alex Crooks, he believes Postecoglou will not green-light a deal mid-season.
Crooks told talkSPORT: “In the case of Richarlison, my hunch tells me this is probably more likely to happen in the summer than in this upcoming transfer window.
“We’ve seen already that the Tottenham squad is pretty threadbare when they lose a couple of key players. Unless they can source a replacement, I’m not sure that Ange Postecoglou particularly would want Richarlison to go now.
“But this is not necessarily fresh interest in Richarlison, there were clubs in Saudi Arabia who were targeting the Brazilian in the summer.
“And the most obvious destination would appear to be Al-Hilal, of course, because they’ve lost Neymar to a serious injury. So, it’s one to keep an eye on but I think with Richarlison probably more likely for the summer window.”
DON’T MISS: The five Tottenham players who are out of contract at the end of the 2023-24 season
Tottenham striker signing still likely in January
Losing Richarlison in January, given what he has done so far in his Tottenham career, would not be considered a particular blow – as long as a replacement is brought in.
Spurs are known to be looking at the likes of Juventus star Samuel Iling-Junior, as well as his teammate in Turin, Federico Chiesa.
However, any forward player added to the squad in the new year is much more likely to be a central option than another winger – which likely rules out Chiesa.
Summer signing Brennan Johnson has shown flashes that he will turn into a tremendous buy, while Dejan Kulusevski is incredibly consistent on the right-wing.
Having a quality back-up option for Son could play a big part in how the club’s season progresses in the second half of the campaign – especially given their untimely and unfortunate injury issues of late.
Tottenham will be back in action on November 26 when they host Aston Villa in the Premier League, hoping to bounce back from those back-to-back losses.
