Spurs favourites to sign Richarlison upgrade who’s a “pure goalscorer”
The clinical number nine could help fire the Lilywhites back into the Champions League places next season.
The transfer window doesn’t officially open until Friday, but that hasn’t stopped clubs from getting to work on deals beforehand, and Tottenham Hotspur are no different.
Daniel Levy and Co clearly recognise the need to provide Ange Postecoglou with a new clinical number nine if the team are to climb back into the Champions League places next season, and based on recent reports, it looks like they might have found just the player.
However, while it’s good news for the Australian and fans, it may well spell the end of the road for Richarlison in N17.
Tottenham Hotspur transfer news
According to a recent report from Spain (via TEAMtalk), Tottenham Hotspur are incredibly interested in signing Sevilla’s star striker Youssef En-Nesyri this summer, and have already made an offer the player is ‘ready to say yes to.’
Alongside the Lilywhites, the report claims there is interest from the Saudi Pro League and Manchester United are preparing an offer of their own in the coming days.
The Spanish giants are said to want at least €20m – £17m – for their reliable marksman, which, if true, could make him one of the best value-for-money signings this summer.
While the interest from other sides is far from ideal, the low asking price and revelation that En-Nesyri is eager to join Spurs means Levy and Co need to dot the i’s and cross the t’s as soon as possible on this deal, even if his arrival sees Richarlison’s gametime dramatically shrink.
How En-Nesyri compares to Richarlison
So, with En-Nesyri potentially moving to the Tottenham Hotspur stadium in the coming weeks, how does he stack up to Richarlison? Does his record in Spain suggest he’d waltz into the lineup and relegate the Brazilian to the bench?
In short, yes, yes, it does.
For example, over the last two seasons, the “pure goalscorer,” as talent scout Jacek Kulig has dubbed him, has scored 38 goals and provided four assists in 89 games, meaning he’s averaged a goal involvement every 2.11 games for two years straight.
| En-Nesyri vs Richarlison | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | En-Nesyri | Richarlison |
| Appearances | 48 | 35 |
| Goals | 18 | 3 |
| Assists | 1 | 4 |
| Goal Involvements per Match | 0.39 | 0.20 |
| 2023/24 | En-Nesyri | Richarlison |
| Appearances | 41 | 31 |
| Goals | 20 | 12 |
| Assists | 3 | 4 |
| Goal Involvements per Match | 0.56 | 0.51 |
In comparison, the former Toffees ace has scored 15 goals and provided eight assists in 66 games across the same period, which equates to a goal involvement on average every 2.8 games.
However, it’s not just his goalscoring that would make the Fès-born marksman the ideal upgrade; it’s also his availability, which is, of course, the best ability.
Over the last two seasons, he has missed just three games through injury. Even if you go back to the start of the 2018/19 campaign, he’s still missed just 27 games, and 16 of those were due to one muscle injury.
On the other hand, the Nova Venécia-born forward has missed 21 games through injury in the previous two campaigns alone and a whopping 41 matches since the start of the 18/19 season.
