There are certain players whose numbers never really reflect their importance or match the public’s perception. Players like Bobby Firmino or Wilfried Zaha fit that mold, and so does Tottenham’s new signing. Richarlison is such an interesting prospect, as his numbers don’t really show his impact, but he’s a supremely talented player who could represent the future for the London side.
Everton continues to lose, as their club’s focal point leaves for London, leaving them closer and closer to the possibility of relegation. For the Spurs, this is an excellent signing and may give Conte yet another weapon for his offense.
It feels like Richarlison has been in Liverpool for a decade given his connection to the fans and performance for the side. In his four years at Everton, he scored 43 goals, but never seemed to draw the attention of the world’s elite clubs. For the most part, he stayed under the radar and quietly strung together excellent performances to save his club from the worst possible nightmare.
Spurs fans should be salivating at the mouth, with the front four of Kane, Kulusevski, Richarlison and Son instantly becoming one of the best offenses in the league. In turn, this should give Tottenham their best chance in years at a trophy. An interesting comparison for Richarlison will be Son, who had similar stats to him when he made the move to London.
Richarlison was an excellent player for Everton and he will be sorely missed by their fans, but he has a chance to be something greater in London. For Spurs fans, this may be the team’s best shot at winning a trophy.
Is there a fanbase that suffers more than Everton’s fans? Well, probably given the existence of Norwich, but seeing Richarlison leave after never really breaking out for them should sink their hopes for the future.
When Everton signed Richarlison from Watford, it was an interesting signing given the promise that he showed but he never really put everything together. Early on in his Merseyside career, he quickly became the club’s offensive focal point. As he grew as a player, so did his connection with the fans, as his performances gave them hope.
Despite his performances, Everton continued to Everton with the club going from one chaotic situation to another. This previous season felt like the perfect summary of his time with the side, as the club barely avoided relegation with Richarlison helping save the side. Now, as he leaves for London, fans will be left wondering what will happen to their side without their hero.
Richarlison has always been highly rated by Everton fans, but he lives in an interesting bubble with other fans. While he is recognized as an interesting prospect by other fanbases, many do see him as a player that should be playing better than his stats show.
Taking a look at his basic stats, he has scored over 40 goals and added 16 assists over his four years in Liverpool. When comparing him to other forwards, the only area where he is truly elite is his defensive actions, as he is below average in most other areas. It is also true that he has a poor conversion rate and has never really fit in as an out and out number nine.
That said, it’s hard to separate legitimate concerns about Richarlison’s stats from the fact that Everton was a dumpster fire for the majority of his time there. Given his legend at Everton, most Prem fans would have expected him to be in the race for the golden boot year in and out. It’s true too that he had to shoulder so much of the burden that he was forced into taking chances that may have been suboptimal.
Everton fans will have plenty of memories of Richarlison as they edge closer and closer to relegation. At the same time, Everton’s situation has made the outlook on Richarlison murky.
For Spurs fans, this is just another great signing in a year that has brought the team great success on that side. Richarlison should add another dimension to the Spurs’ attack and will help create more space for both Kane and Son.
Spurs had already added Kulusevski to their front line in the winter and now they have another young project up top. It’s clear that Spurs only see Chelsea as their competition for top four with both City and Liverpool being ahead of the two London sides. This move also shows why Manchester United has fallen so far behind, as they are no longer an attractive destination for players.
Richarlison will fit in well, be it in the starting eleven or off the bench, as he will not have to carry the team. Instead, he can attack as another option that teams will have to plan for which should allow Kane and Son to operate in more space. This is yet another excellent transfer for a Spurs front office that has really done an excellent job over this past year.
An interesting comparison for this move should be Son’s move from Bayer Leverkusen, as both players had comparable stats. Both players came to Tottenham as interesting prospects who left teams where they had become heroes at to join a project in London. This should be good news to Richarlison, as he can attempt to replicate Son’s rise to the top.
Comparing their numbers is really where things get pretty interesting, as both players were 10+ goals per season scorers with around 5 assists per season. The one thing that Richarlison has over Son is that he’s already used to the Prem , which Son wasn’t when he made his move. Son was able to develop from a good forward to one of the Prem’s best and Richalison should aim for that.
As the new season begins to creep up, Spurs fans should be excited about their team with Richarlison likely to help the offense out. If he is able to follow the path that Son laid out, Richarlison could develop into a special player.
It’s hard to capture just what Richarlison meant to Everton fans, as he brought hope and joy to a club that desperately needed it. Tottenham signs a player that will hopefully also give them a future while allowing them to continue competing in the present. As he departs for Tottenham, hoping to develop more, fans will be left hoping that there is a future beyond Richarlison.
Featured image: Getty
