Tottenham slap not-for-sale tag on expensive player who’ll now be under intense observation
Tottenham Hotspur have ruled out selling Richarlison in the January transfer window, but he will be under pressure in the second half of the season, a report has explained.
Richarlison has struggled to justify the amount of money that Tottenham paid Everton to sign him last summer. It has led to questions about his future in north London already and links with a move to the Saudi Pro League.
Officials in Saudi Arabia reportedly believe Richarlison could be a more attainable target than his Tottenham teammate Son Heung-min in January, having identified both players as options to take to the Middle East.
However, their confidence might be misplaced, since multiple sources are now indicating that Tottenham will not part with Richarlison in January after all.
The latest to suggest so is Football Insider, which asserts that Tottenham are not even considering a departure for Richarlison in the winter.
However, the report warns Richarlison that if his form does not improve in the second half of the season, then Tottenham will consider selling him in the summer.
The Saudi Pro League could still be a potential destination for Richarlison by then, where he could cross paths with compatriots like Neymar, Fabinho and Roberto Firmino.
That said, no source has yet confirmed what Richarlison’s personal stance on Saudi Arabia would be.
He is under contract at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium until 2027, but has only scored five goals from 46 appearances for his current employers.
Pressure rises on Richarlison for second half of season
As stated, Richarlison will be under intense scrutiny to ensure that output picks up after January to justify his place at Tottenham, or he could risk losing it.
Tottenham never signed an immediate replacement for Harry Kane in the summer after selling their all-time leading goalscorer to Bayern Munich, so could invest in further competition up front in 2024 that would theoretically push Richarlison down the pecking order.
The former Watford forward has started seven Premier League matches so far this season and come on in three more, but despite providing three assists, he has only scored once in the top flight.
Despite that, Tottenham are still only two points off the top of the Premier League table almost a third of the way into the new season.
