Everton striker Richarlison has moved one step closer to swapping Everton for Tottenham, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano and Sky Sports.
The 25-year-old wants out of Goodison Park after the club’s struggles to avoid the drop last season, and the chance to play for a club in the Champions League for the first time in his career appears to be too good to turn down.
Richarlison is expected to cost Tottenham a fee in the region of £60million, as Antonio Conte further bolsters his squad.
Guardian journalist Romano has tweeted that the player has agreed personal terms on a long-term deal.
Sky Sports, meanwhile, states that Spurs hope to conclude the transfer over the next 24 hours.
Richarlison played a major role in helping Frank Lampard’s men avoid relegation. However, he does not appear to be happy on Merseyside and Everton recouping £60m does seem like good business.
The Toffees also have concerns over Financial Fair Play. With that in mind, selling the Brazilian will enable Lampard to reinvest those funds straight back into his squad.
Richarlison a very expensive back-up
From Tottenham‘s point of view, Richarlison will give them a high-quality back-up to Harry Kane – something they have not had for some considerable time.
The big question remains, however, why spend that amount on a replacement?
It’s hard to see where Richarlison fits into Spurs’ best XI, unless he plays out wide. However, he is far less effective when not playing centrally, so the move is a slightly surprising one.
One thing is for sure, Conte must be a big fan of the player. There is no way that he would sanction the transfer if he is not.
So if the enigmatic Brazilian does indeed head to north London in the coming days, all eyes will be on pre-season and how Conte plans to utilise the forward’s undoubted talents.