Tottenham Hotspur have made two significant new signings this summer between former West Ham winger Mohammed Kudus and former Fulham and Bayern Munich defensive midfielder Joao Palhinha, acquired on loan.
Already, the two men have made a significant difference to Tottenham, with Kudus standing out as one of the team's best players in both the hard-fought defeat to PSG in the UEFA Supercup Final and the blowout 3-0 Premier League opening victory against newcomers Burnley.
But one of Tottenham's other big stars of the first two games of the season, alongside Kudus, has been a player who could have been the subject of a very different kind of transfer this summer - a transfer out of the club entirely.
Richarlison was purchased for 60 million pounds in 2022 from Everton, and through his first two seasons in North London, the Brazilian international was nowhere near providing any sort of return of investment due to a combination of injuries and disappointing play. Briefly, Richarlison showed flashes of goal-scoring brilliance near the end of the 2024/25 campaign, but, by and large, it was seen as too little, too late.
A man who wants to fight for Tottenham
Spurs were shopping Richarlison, and in a report from Brazilian outlet UOL Esporte's Bruno Andrade, it is stated that althouguh Spurs and the player were open to a move this summer, a deal never advanced despite extensive interest in the striker from around the globe. The reason is that Richarlison sat down and had a talk with people around him and decided to stay with Spurs for another year.
The summer before, Richarlison could have left, too, with gaudier offers on the table from Saudi Arabia, but he chose to stay and continue to fight for his place despite the addition of 65 million pound striker Dominic Solanke. Everything about Richarlison, from his days at Everton, speaks to him being a fighter in character, and he has been exactly that for Tottenham in 2025.
Richarlison also likely didn't move because Tottenham didn't see any better offers on the table or want to spend more on an alternative striker who may not be as good. As we have seen through these first two games of 2025/26, Richarlison, when healthy and in the mood, is one of the top strikers in the Premier League, just as he was with the Toffees.
Thomas Frank appears to be a believer in Richarlison, and there's no question that Richarlison loves the club. Just ask Gabriel Magalhaes. Richarlison rebounding under Frank and flirting with 20 goals is a legitimate possibility in this offense, and if he can stay healthy and keep playing like this to the quality we know, Spurs may come out of this season thinking their best move of the summer - maybe even above Kudus or possibly Eberechi Eze - was giving Richarlison one more shot.