Which London club is most likely to sign Richarlison this summer?
Richarlison is the subject of a three-way transfer battle between Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal for his signature… but where is he most likely to end up should he leave Everton in a deal that will exceed £50m?
- Richarlison has been linked with Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal this summer
- Everton are demanding no less than £50million for their most valuable asset
- The Brazilian is thought to be keen on leaving Goodison Park after four years
- The highly-rated 25-year-old also brings an edge to his game on the pitch
Richarlison is at the centre of a three-way battle from London clubs for his signature in this summer’s transfer window.
The Brazilian had attracted the interest of Arsenal and Tottenham before Chelsea joined the race for Everton’s most valuable asset. It is believed the Toffees will not be willing to negotiate at a price less than £50million – roughly what they paid to lure Richarlison to Goodison Park from Watford in 2018.
Thomas Tuchel’s side will be in the market for attackers as they are set to lose Romelu Lukaku, who is on the brink of a return to Inter Milan on loan. The Blues also need added impetus in forward areas as they seek to close the gap to the runaway pair of Manchester City and Liverpool.
Richarlison has courted the interest of the likes of Chelsea, Spurs and Arsenal in the summer
The Brazilian has been a mainstay of the Everton side since joining from Watford in 2018
It is easy to see why Richarlison has caught the eye of three of the Premier League’s top six. The 25-year-old, who has scored 53 goals and made 14 more during his time at Everton, will be keen to make the step up as he approaches the peak years of his career.
Everton are willing to listen to offers for Richarlison – a fan favourite for on and off-the-pitch reasons – and it appears his immediate future lies away from Goodison Park after four years on Merseyside.
Here, Sportsmail looks at where would he fit in and where is his most likely destination.
Richarlison would bring an edge to whoever he joined, should he choose to leave Everton
Chelsea
Sportsmail reported on Monday that Chelsea are ready to rival their fellow London clubs for the former Watford forward as part of the new ownership regime’s plans to revamp their attack.
While the Blues finished third in the Premier League last term, it would be hard to argue any of their forward players had particularly outstanding seasons. Timo Werner has continually struggled, Kai Havertz is yet to fulfil his potential and few tears at Stamford Bridge will be shed at Lukaku’s impending departure.
Richarlison may inject the energy, verve and pace that has been desperately lacking at Chelsea. He would also bring an edge that Blues fans admire so much in their players, a trait former striker and his compatriot Diego Costa had in abundance.
Thomas Tuchel is keen to bolster his attacking options at Chelsea in the summer window
Tuchel and Chelsea are thought to have put Raheem Sterling at the top of their wishlist
The Brazilian may not be an automatic starter in Tuchel’s XI but would give the German a different option, particularly in games against sides willing to sit deep and try and hit Chelsea on the counter.
Chelsea are also perhaps the most likely of the three London clubs thought to be interested in Richarlison to stump up the minimum asking price.
But Tuchel is believed to have installed Raheem Sterling at the top of his transfer wish-list and it does not seem feasible that Chelsea will sign both Richarlison and the Manchester City winger, who both play off the left-hand side in a front three.
However Richarlison is perhaps the easier deal to do of the two, given City will drive a hard bargain if they are to sell to a rival.
Likelihood rating: 3/5
Tottenham
Antonio Conte’s Spurs have been among the most active Premier League clubs in the transfer market so far.
Three players – Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster and Yves Bissouma – have already come through the door at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium since the window opened.
Spurs’ top brass are clearly keen to back Conte and the club will be fully aware they need to add depth to a promising squad if they are to move from top-four hopefuls to regularly challenging for domestic and European honours.
Antonio Conte has already added three players to his squad in a lively window for Tottenham
Richarlison may struggle for playing time under Conte, given the strength of his front three
Champions League football makes Spurs a more attractive proposition for the likes of Richarlison. But for the player, he may look at a potential switch to Tottenham and be understandably concerned about his playing time.
Son Heung-min, Harry Kane and Dejan Kulusevski established themselves as a fearsome front three in the back half of last season and will be hard to dislodge when they are all fully fit.
It is difficult to see Richarlison, a regular for Everton throughout his time there, being satisfied with a potentially bit-part role. It also seems unlikely that Spurs – known for their frugality in the market, up until this summer at least – will be prepared to pay £50million-plus for an understudy to their dynamite trio of Son, Kane and Kulusevski.
Likelihood rating: 2.5/5
Arsenal
Like Chelsea, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal will be looking to bolster their attacking options after narrowly missing out on Champions League qualification to their fierce north London rivals.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette have both left the club in the last six months and the left-hand side is an area Arsenal fans will be wanting to address.
Gabriel Martinelli is clearly a huge talent but is not quite there yet, while Emile Smith-Rowe is another promising alternative in that wide slot. Of course there is Bukayo Saka, too, but he has predominantly operated from the right – and with great success.
Arsenal are prioritising a move for Gabriel Jesus as they seek to add an out-and-out striker to their ranks
Arsenal have also been linked with a move for in-demand Leeds winger Raphinha this window
Some would argue Richarlison is an upgrade on both Martinelli and Smith-Rowe, but Arsenal have other priorities, most notably the Everton player’s Brazilian team-mate Gabriel Jesus.
It is doubtful the Gunners would splash a considerable amount on both Jesus and Richarlison and that severely limits the chances of them pursuing a deal for the Everton man.
There are also other priorities for Arteta, who has long been linked with a move for Leicester midfielder Youri Tielemans and is interested in Leeds star Raphinha.
Landing all three of those players would bring the chances of signing Richarlison to zero. At best.
Likelihood rating: 0.5/5
Share this article
Source: Read Full Article