'Spoke to his camp'—MLS club are making move to sign Tottenham forward

Entering the summer transfer window, Richarlison was regarded by many as disposable for the sake of further squad improvement.

Sure, the lovable Brazilian forward had a hand in ensuring Tottenham ended their 17-year wait for a major trophy in Bilbao, but persistent fitness woes had prevented him from developing any sort of sustained rhythm in N17—outside of one purple patch midway through Ange Postecoglou's debut campaign at the helm.

The arrival of a new manager in the summer doubtless prolonged Richarlison's Spurs career, with Thomas Frank offering a clean slate to the squad he inherited. And with Dominic Solanke struggling through preseason due to a nagging ankle issue, Frank was reluctant to oversee the sale of the centre-forward ahead of his debut campaign.

To an extent, this decision has been vindicated, but the circumstances that conspired to work in Richy's favour in the summer may only delay the 28-year-old's departure.

MLS’s Orlando City want to sign Tottenham's Richarlison

Richarlison's nose for goal is undeniable, and he started the Premier League season with an excellent brace against Burnley. Days before, the striker had produced a tireless performance in the UEFA Super Cup, which saw him win back the goodwill of many supporters.

However, the gloss of that bright start has started to wear off.

Richarlison has continued to function as Frank's first-choice centre-forward, but he's scored just once since the opening weekend. Since then, the Brazilian's unreliable hold-up inabilities, technical insecurity and willingness to go to ground all too easily have frustrated fans. In a direct Frank-led outfit, Richarlison is far from the optimal striker profile.

Still, he's a marketable character and a handy goalscorer when he's purring. There was Saudi interest in the summer, and Everton also supposedly lurked, but intrigue is now starting to emerge from across the Atlantic. According to Fabrizio Romano, who I thought we wouldn't hear from until the winter, Major League Soccer's Orlando City are keen on signing Richarlison next summer.

The franchise's director, Ricardo Moreira, is said to be leading the operation, and has already discussed the potential move with the player's camp.

It's far too early to gauge the likelihood of a potential deal, but you do get the feeling that Spurs' centre-forward depth chart will undergo some work at the end of the 2025/26 season. With Solanke likely to re-emerge as Frank's No. 1 guy when he returns from injury and Mathys Tel showing promise, some will argue whether it's necessary to keep Richarlison on their books beyond this campaign.

We know what he's all about, and that might not be good enough for a Frank-led project with lofty ambition.