Tottenham Hotspur striker Richarlison was reportedly a target for Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Ittihad this past summer.
Al-Ittihad were keen on signing Mohamed Salah from Liverpool during the summer transfer window, but the transfer did not materialise. A report from Daily Telegraph has claimed that Brazilian international and Tottenham attacker Richarlison was identified as an alternative.
However, Al-Ittihad have not managed to sign Richarlison either. The Saudi Arabian transfer window has now closed, and Al-Ittihad will have to make do with the options at their disposal. It will be interesting to see if they decide to make a move for Salah or Richarlison during the January transfer window, although it may be on the cards.
Richarlison joined Tottenham in a deal worth around £60 million last summer. But he has been quite underwhelming for the North London outfit so far. The Brazilian has scored just four goals for Tottenham since joining the club, and he will need to raise his performance levels in order to hold down a regular starting spot.
There is no doubt that the 26-year-old is a quality striker and can be a handful on his day. However, he has not been able to adapt to his new surroundings, and he has struggled to find the back of the net on a consistent basis.
Tottenham sold Harry Kane to Bayern Munich earlier this summer, and they will be hoping that the Brazilian international can replace him adequately. However, Richarlison has never been a prolific goalscorer throughout his career. So, it remains to be seen how he replaces the creative and goalscoring output of the England international.
Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou will be expected to get the best out of the Brazilian. It remains to be seen whether the 26-year-old can regain his confidence and sharpness. His form has been quite mediocre for his country as well, and he failed to get on the scoresheet against Bolivia recently despite Brazil winning by a comfortable margin.
The 26-year-old has the physical and technical attributes to develop into a quality Premier League striker and Tottenham fans will hope that he can showcase his two qualities in the coming months and fill the void left by Harry Kane.
