Ange Postecoglou is now a few months into his second season in charge of Tottenham Hotspur, and while it hasn’t been the smoothest of rides, it would be fair to say the majority of fans would rather be where they are now than where they were before he joined.
The Australian has taken a team that was playing dull and ineffective football under the previous string of managers and has turned them into arguably one of the most entertaining sides in the country.
Granted, there are still some problems with defending and wilting under pressure, but overall, the team look far more effective when in the swing of things, and some of his additions, like Brennan Johnson and Micky van de Ven, have made a real difference.
That said, a few players are still underwhelming and should probably be moved on next year, including Richarlison. Fortunately, the club were linked to the perfect upgrade in the summer.
Richarlison's Spurs career
In the summer of 2022, while Antonio Conte was still at the helm, Tottenham opted to spend £60m on Everton’s star attacker Richarlison, who had just come off a strong season in which he scored 11 goals and provided five assists.
So, there was an expectation that in a stronger team like Spurs, he would only improve his attacking output, but that didn’t happen.
Instead, he ended his first campaign in the capital with a paltry return of three goals and four assists in 35 appearances.
Things did improve slightly under Postecoglou last season, as a hot streak midway through the campaign saw him finish with a more reasonable tally of 12 goals and four assists in 31 games, but he still wasn’t justifying his massive price tag.
Injuries have limited the former Toffees star to just six appearances this season, in which he’s scored once.
Appearances
35
31
6
Goals
3
12
1
Assists
4
4
0
Goal Involvements per Match
0.2
0.51
0.16
However, cameo appearances like the one against Manchester City last night have only further entrenched the idea that he is simply not clinical enough. So it’s probably time he was moved on next year, and the good news is that his ideal replacement should be available for free.
Why Spurs should replace Richarlison with Jonathan David
Yes, the striker in question is Canadian international and LOSC Lille star Jonathan David, who was heavily touted for a move to N17 during the summer for fees in the £20m to £25m range.
However, the 24-year-old ultimately opted to remain in Northern France for another season, and while that’s good news for Les Dogues on the pitch, it might not be off of it, as David’s contract is set to expire in the summer, meaning he can start negotiating with foreign clubs in January for a free move in the summer, and Spurs should be all over this.
The former Gent star might not be a household name in the UK, but he has been a consistent and reliable scorer of goals in France over the last few years and would be a dream upgrade on Richarlison as well as someone who could even challenge Dominic Solanke for a starting berth.
Appearances
48
40
47
16
Goals
19
26
26
11
Assists
0
4
9
2
Goal Involvements per Match
0.39
0.75
0.74
0.81
For example, in 47 appearances last year, the “world-class” forward, as dubbed by ex-Canada manager Iain Hume, scored 26 goals and provided nine assists, and in just 16 games this season, he’s racked up a haul of 11 goals and two assists – talk about efficient.
Moreover, the New York City-born marksman has scored six goals in just 11 Champions League appearances and racked up two goals and two assists in four qualifiers, so he is not someone who’ll wilt under pressure.
Ultimately, Richarlison is a talented player, but he has only been able to show it in glimpses since moving to North London.
In contrast, David has consistently demonstrated that he’s an elite goalscorer, and considering he’ll be available on a free next summer, this is a transfer Spurs cannot afford to miss out on.
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