Bid coming soon: Spurs looking at £84M Richarlison upgrade who works like a dog – opinion
The fact that Tottenham Hotspur made it to the Europa League must be seen as a success, given that they lost Harry Kane last summer, hired a new boss in Ange Postecoglou, and had a lot of problems.
But if Daniel Levy and his team want the club to make progress next season, really compete with the best teams in the Premier League, and make it to the Champions League, they’ll need to bring in some good players this summer.
Lucky for fans, that might happen because the latest player rumoured to be moving to N17 was one of the most dangerous shooters on the continent this season and would be a great addition to Richarlison.
A recent story from the Portuguese newspaper Jornal de Noticias (via Sport Witness) says that Tottenham is one of several teams that want to sign Porto scorer Evanilson this summer.
It was said in the story that Chelsea and Manchester United are also interested in signing the Brazilian and could make bids “so
It’s bad news for everyone who wants to sign the 24-year-old because he just made his debut for the Seleção over the weekend. Porto will probably demand that teams pay his full €100m release clause, which is about £84m.
It would be hard and cost a lot to get over the line, but it is a goal that should be pursued, especially since Richarlison hasn’t really shown why he should be the club’s starting nine going forward.
What Evanilson and Richarlison have in common
What would happen if Levy and his team were able to bring Evanilson to North London in the next few weeks? Would he replace Richarlison right away as Postecoglou’s preferred striker? To put it briefly, yes.
For instance, there is no way to compare the pair’s pure performance from this season. Talent scout Jacek Kulig called Porto’s “complete striker” this season. He scored 25 goals and set up seven others, which means he had an average of one goal-related interaction every 1.31 games.
Compared to that, the former Everton star had a better season than last year, but he only scored 12 goals in 31 games and set up four more. That’s an average of one goal every 1.93 games.
| Evanilson vs Richarlison | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | Evanilson | Richarlison |
| Appearances | 42 | 31 |
| Goals | 25 | 12 |
| Assists | 7 | 4 |
| Goal Involvements per Match | 0.76 | 0.51 |
| All Stats via Transfermarkt | ||
The Lilywhites’ ace is hurt by the fact that the comparison is just as one-sided when you look at their real numbers.
However, the 6-foot “all-rounder,” as data analyst Ben Mattinson called him, is first in almost every other relevant metric. These include expected goals and assists, progressive passes and carries, goals per shot on target, passing accuracy, shot and goal-creating actions, successful take-ons, and even ball recoveries, all per 90.
| Evanilson vs Richarlison | ||
|---|---|---|
| Stats per 90 | Evanilson | Richarlison |
| Expected Goals + Assists | 0.75 | 0.70 |
| Progressive Carries | 1.75 | 1.57 |
| Progressive Passes | 2.37 | 2.29 |
| Shots on Target | 0.97 | 1.51 |
| Goals per Shot on Target | 0.50 | 0.44 |
| Passing Accuracy | 78.7% | 68.1% |
| Shot-Creating Actions | 2.50 | 2.05 |
| Goal-Creating Actions | 0.39 | 0.30 |
| Successful Take-Ons | 0.92 | 0.60 |
| Ball Recoveries | 2.68 | 2.53 |
| All Stats via FBref for the 23/24 League Season | ||
The star from Fortaleza is more than just a great scorer—he’s also a great team player, or as Mattinson puts it, he works “like a dog off the ball.” His 2.68 ball clearances per 90 also show this.
Because of his performance and numbers, Spurs should do everything they can to bring Evanilson to N17 this summer, even if it means the end for Richarlison in white. The money may be big, and the battle may be tough.
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