Owen Hargreaves has shared that Richarlison is ‘perfect’ for Tottenham Hotspur and Antonio Conte, but he needs to find a way to start his summer signing a lot more.
On Saturday, Spurs recorded a 2-1 win over Fulham, with Richarlison starting his first game since his record-breaking transfer to north London and Hargreaves suggested whether Conte can go ‘4-4-2’ in order to get all his attackers in.
It seems as though, at this moment in time, Son Heung-min, Harry Kane and Dejan Kulusevski are Tottenham’s first-choice front three.
But could Richarlison break that door down during these coming weeks as his minutes continue to stack up? Well, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he starts for Spurs against Marseille in the Champions League tonight or against Manchester City at the weekend.
Either way, Conte is now starting to rotate given the upcoming fixture pile-up and this is the chance for those back-up players to cement their place in the XI.
Nonetheless, after Richarlison was handed his first start against Marco Silva’s free-scoring Fulham recently, Hargreaves liked what he saw from the former Everton player, as he told Premier League Productions.
“I think he is perfect for them,” said Hargreaves. “He’s such a good player. It’s just about trying to find a way to get him into the side.
“The problem is with Kulusevski, Son and Kane, it’s hard. Maybe change the shape? Maybe go 4-4-2? I think with all those attacking players. I think Tottenham could have a right go.
“But Kane and Richarlison, I love watching them go forward.”
KULUSEVSKI OR RICHARLISON?
That will probably be the battle for large parts of the season because no-one will dethrone Harry Kane or Son Heung-min from the XI, regardless of what form they are in.
Yes, there will come a point when the duo need a rest and they will be rotated, but at this moment in time, it’s either Richarlison or Kulusevski playing alongside the record-breaking duo.
It seems Conte still has his January capture ahead of Richarlison, although, this is why he brought in the Brazil international, so he can create that much-needed competition.
From his cameo from the bench against Nottingham Forest to his most recent start, the more minutes Richarlison plays, the more his engine heats up and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he is a regular starter sooner rather than later.
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