The Brazilian winger is reportedly on the wishlist of Tottenham Hotspur but latest demands should end any thought of a bid.
Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly monitoring Watford’s Brazilian winger Richarlison as an alternative to Wilfried Zaha this summer and the Hornets have set out their stall by slapping on a £40million price-tag.
And that really should be enough to deter Spurs entirely.
The Brazilian enjoyed a fantastic start to life in the Premier League, helping Watford light up the league over the first half of the season under Marco Silva. His first 12 starts in England’s top flight saw him score five times and assist another three – but then things fell off a cliff.
An unwarranted (and possibly illegal) approach for Silva from Everton in November upset all the momentum that the team had with results and performances suffering greatly.
Richarlison, in particular, struggled. His assist in a 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace on December 12th was his final goal contribution of the season and he was eventually taken out of the starting lineup by Silva’s eventual replacement, Javi Gracia.
There’s no doubt that Richarlison is talented. His performances up until December were outstanding at times for a 21-year-old and his potential is clear to see.
£40million, however, for a player with obvious and considerable room for improvement, is not where Spurs should be spending their money. They’re a team on the cusp of something special and simply do not have the patience for a misfiring player like Richarlison to find his form again.
And that’s merely one risk with an approach. The history of the Premier League is littered with players who made great starts and fizzled out into nothing; some top sides will cringe at the name Amr Zaki when they consider how eager they were to sign him.
In a year, should he regain his momentum, teams like Tottenham can afford to take a look. But right now, he shouldn’t be considered – Zaha or no Zaha.
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