Tottenham starter "ready to leave" following Brentford disaster

Well that wasn't supposed to happen was it? Among Premier League fanbases, Tottenham supporters were among the most optimistic, following their enormous summer outlay. Come off the back of successive 17th place finishes, most asserted that the only way is up, but perhaps not.

On Saturday evening, Roberto De Zerbi's side were easily swatted aside 3-0 by Brentford in West London. The Bees racked up an xG figure of 4.31, including missing a penalty, scoring with ease, and it is not an exaggeration to say they could have bagged six or seven. Spurs, on the other hand, were lacklustre, disorganised, ponderous and lacked any semblance of sharpness or creativity.

It feels harsh to single out any one player, because everyone in a Tottenham shirt was terrible, but Richarlison perhaps personified their disastrous display. During 68 minutes on the field, the Brazilian had just 17 touches, mustered no shots, completed only eight passes and lost possession five times, including having his pocket picked by Kristoffer Ajer in the build up to Vitaly Janelt's goal. So now, has the manager quickly decided that is the last he wishes to see of the 29 year old?

Well, as reported by journalist Nicolò Schira, Richarlison is "ready to leave" Spurs before the transfer window closes on 1 September, noting that he is "no longer central" to De Zerbi's plans. Given that the Brazilian obviously started Spurs' Premier League opener, this is quite the U-turn. It is tough to forecast where he would go, with Trabzonspor purportedly eager, but can Spurs allow him to leave?

Dominic Solanke replaced Richarlison mid-way through the second half at the Gtech, but relying on him to start fit seems like a fool's errand. The England international accumulated just 1,158 minutes last season, starting only 12 times due to ankle surgery, scoring six times. Thus, having Solanke as your only recognised centre-forward feels like a major risk.

However, the Lilywhites' attacking options could soon be transformed by two arrivals. Savinho is set to be unveiled any day now, arriving from Manchester City for £70 million. Meantime, he is set to be joined in North London by Omar Marmoush, as Tottenham pursue both Man City attackers.

The Egyptian would surely join as the first-choice centre-forward, considering he scored 37 goals in 67 outings for Eintracht Frankfurt, even if he's failed to recapture those heights in sky blue. Thus, if Marmoush does arrive, that could open the door for Richarlison's Spurs spell to come to an end.

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