Tottenham Hotspur forward Richarlison admits Premier League rivals Arsenal and Chelsea showed an interest before he left Everton for Antonio Conte’s London giants, speaking to FourFourTwo.
It’s testament to the impact Richarlison has made at Spurs that neither Heung Min-Son nor Dejan Kulusevski can really be assured of a guaranteed starting place these days.
The Brazil international, Tottenham’s £60 million record signing, has provided a goal or an assist in every other game so far for the club; that Champions League brace against Marseille proof of his match-winning capabilities at the very highest level.
Arsenal and Chelsea like Tottenham forward Richarlison
“I was on holiday in Brazil when I heard that Tottenham made Everton an offer,” the former Watford forward remembers.
“I was happy, because they are a huge team. Then it was all about the clubs negotiating a deal and, fortunately, everything went well. Antonio Conte called me during the negotiations and expressed how much he’d like to have me on board. That was vital for my decision.”
Spurs were not the only capital city club who expressed an interest either.
“I know Chelsea made an offer. And I believe Arsenal also contacted Everton to ask about my situation. But Spurs came in and paid the fee, you know? It’s as simple as that.
“Everton had to sell some players to avoid a Financial Fair Play problem. And the negotiations were very brief, to be honest.”
Richarlison has started just two Premier League games for Tottenham thus far. But, with Spurs looking to balance domestic and European commitments this term, the strength in depth he provides in the final third could come in very handy during a particularly packed fixture schedule.
Everton, meanwhile, appear to have reinvested that £60 million windfall rather impressively. Andre Onana, Neal Maupay and Idrissa Gana Gueye all impressed as Frank Lampard’s side got off the mark at last with a deserved 1-0 win over West Ham United last time out.
They may have lost their most gifted player. But Everton’s squad looks far stronger as a whole now than it did last term.
£60m star admits Arsenal tried to sign him before record-breaking transfer£60m star admits Arsenal tried to sign him before record-breaking transfer
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