Gareth Bale has been linked with a sensational return to Tottenham Hotspur, but Spurs rightly have their eyes elsewhere.
Spurs sold Bale to the Spanish giants for a then-world record £85m in 2013, and The Mirror adds that it would cost them the same figure to bring the 28-year-old back to North London.
The Mirror also claim that Tottenham are tracking Richarlison following the Brazilian’s exciting start to the season with Watford, for whom he has four goals and three assists in 11 Premier League games.
While Spurs fans might be attracted to the star power and nostalgic value of Bale’s potential return, they would be better of sticking to their transfer model in their hunt for a new attacker.
Richarlison fits the brief much better than Bale, whose transfer fee and wages would surely be out of Tottenham’s reach considering the investment being made on the club’s new stadium.
The three-time Champions League winner would also bring with him a ‘Galactico’ dynamic which could upset a united Spurs dressing room, and has had numerous injury problems in recent years.
Twenty-year-old Richarlison would be much more affordable for Spurs, who tend to favour the signing of younger players who are hungry for success and willing to learn under Mauricio Pochettino.
Give Pochettino a couple of years with Richarlison and he could turn him into the next Gareth Bale. The South American is quick, runs at defenders and has an eye for goal. All of the tools are there.
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