Tottenham ‘in advanced transfer negotiations’ to sign £51m Everton forward Richarlison

Tottenham are reportedly in advanced negotiations to sign Richarlison from Everton in a bumper £51million deal. The Lilywhites were not deemed to be among the clubs chasing the Brazilian’s signature until now, and talks over personal terms have supposedly taken place already. 

Everton’s brush with Premier League relegation was seemingly enough to convince Richarlison that his future would be best served elsewhere. Now 25-years-old and entering his prime, the forward has a sturdy enough reputation to attract some of Europe’s top sides. 

Manchester United, Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea had all been mentioned alongside the Toffees star in recent weeks, although nobody made notable progress. Now, Spurs have come steaming in and may not be too far away from a shock deal. 

At least according to UOL’s Bruno Andrade, who claims that the negotiations are already ‘advanced’ and Richarlison has discussed his contract with the Tottenham hierarchy. 

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Richarlison could ditch Merseyside for north London this summer (Image: GETTY)

Antonio Conte’s side are keen to add depth up top so that a top-class understudy for Harry Kane will allow them to compete on multiple fronts next season. The Italian masterminded an unlikely turnaround during his debut campaign that took Spurs from mid-table to Champions League qualification, which will put their squad to the test in 2022/23. 

Due to Richarlison’s attacking versatility, he could fill in out wide when Kane is fit and firing. That is just as well for all parties given that Tottenham’s talisman has proven impossible to displace in recent years, and many out-and-out strikers who tried saw their stock plummet. 

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Gabriel Jesus is a similarly versatile option to be linked with Spurs, but a reported £50m price-tag could see them back off and let local rivals Arsenal take the hit. The Brazilian may prefer the Emirates either way given that he would have a virtually guaranteed spot up top, with only Eddie Nketiah remaining after Alexandre Lacazette’s recent exit. 

Inter Milan star Lautaro Martinez is also in the running should Tottenham’s talks for Richarlison stall. Inter Milan chief Piero Ausilio is believed to be in London for transfer meetings, and while Conte is familiar with Martinez’s talent from his own time at the San Siro, the Argentine is a less versatile option and he may not be content to be shifted out wide. 

Antonio Conte is supposedly seeking out versatile back-up for Harry Kane (Image: GETTY)

Despite the brain-numbing conundrum Conte faces, he will at least feel encouraged that the club are ready to back him. That comes in stark contrast to his first transfer window at the helm, when he complained: “Four players left in January. Four important players for Tottenham, two have arrived.

“So even numerically instead of reinforcing yourself you may have, on paper, weakened. Then precise choices were made for many reasons. But I certainly never expected that in January four players who I still considered important would change their shirts for a thousand reasons. This shows the difficulty.”