Since joining Tottenham in 2022, Richarlison has had his fair share of problems on and off the pitch. He’s a fascinating character, to say the least, and we can tell you all about him.
The Brazilian striker is the kind of player who, if he plays for your club, you adore him. But, for those on the opposing side, he can be quite the wind-up merchant.
But, behind the scenes, Richarlison is a very likeable, friendly, and kind person by all accounts. There’s certianly more than meets the eye when it comes to Tottenham‘s number 9, that’s for sure.
So, we’ve broken down his Spurs career, the struggles he has faced, and that iconic celebration, as well as other details like his wages, value, and his family life.
Richarlison has not had it easy at Spurs
Goals have, at times, been hard to come by for Richarlison at Tottenham, and many have questioned his suitability for the team over the last two years.
He joined Tottenham from Everton in the summer of 2022 in a huge £60m deal (Sky Sports), putting a lot of expectation on his shoulders from the get go.
It’s safe to say his first season with the club was a bit of a let down, then, given he didn’t score his first Premier League goal for the Lilywhites until April the following year. He ended the campaign with just three goals in 35 matches (Transfermarkt).
Injuries plagued that campaign, and then, of course, there was the debacle surrounding Antonio Conte’s eventual departure from the club, so perhaps it’s unfair to judge any player on that particular season.
In the 2023/24 campaign, Richarlison fared much better, and was utilised a lot more substantially under Ange Postecoglou. It helped that he was playing with a smile on his face, too, and Richarlison ended the season with 12 goals, including a purple patch at the start of 2024 where he scored nine goals in eight games.
Sadly, injury issues have hampered his momentum going into the new season, and with Dominic Solanke arriving this summer, it remains to be seen how much Richarlison will be involved going forward.
Saudi Arabia transfer for Richarliso could be on the cards
Saudi Arabian clubs have been continually linked with a move for Richarlison, but the Spurs star very publicly pledged his allegiance to the North London club towards the end of the summer.
In a rather iconic statement on the speculation linking him to the Middle East, Richarlison told ESPN: “There has been an offer but my dream of playing for the Brazilian Selecao and in the Premier League speaks louder. The money is big but my dreams are bigger.”
Clearly, the striker is intent on fighting for his place at Tottenham and forcing his way back into the Brazilian national team.
It remains to be seen whether Saudi clubs will come knocking for Richarlison again, and whether his stance will change next year.
Richarlison’s nickname and celebration explained
Richarlison’s nickname, Pombo, means “pigeon” in Portuguese. This nickname and his goal celebration, both stem from his love for a Brazilian band called Os Perseguidores.
Whenever he scores a goal, Richarlison puts his hands behind his back and starts to strut and bob his head, resembling the movements of a pigeon.
Discussing the moves, Richarlison once explained (via TalkSPORT): “The pigeon dance came from a group from Rio de Janeiro who had a song in around 2012. A trend was started when I did the dance at home. Everyone started copying me. I think I’ve helped the band’s profile grow because of that.”
As the Pombo dance has become more famous, Brazilian legends like Ronaldo and even the national team manager, Tite, have pulled out the moves to celebrate Richarlison’s goals.
In addition to his nickname and dance, Richarlison also loves to utter the phrase “pru pru” across social media, which again links to the idea of pigeons (it resembles the noise they make).
Richarlison opened up about his mental health struggles
During that difficult period in the 2022/23 campaign, Richarlison suffered with a lot of mental health problems, but he spoke very candidly about this in the press afterwards revealing how he felt and how he overcame the issues.
Despite enjoying a very successful World Cup in Qatar — Richarlison scored three goals in four games for Brazil — the Spurs man was left depressed and broken, largely driven by the revelation that his personal assistant had allegedly been taking advantage of him and manipulating his finances.
Speaking to ESPN about his struggles, Richarlison said: “I’d just played in a World Cup, at my peak. I was reaching my limit, you know? I don’t know, I’m not going to talk about killing myself, but I was in a depression there, and I wanted to give up.
“Even I, who seemed to be mentally strong. After the World Cup it seemed like it all fell apart. I think the therapist saved my life. I only thought rubbish. I only searched for rubbish, I only wanted to see rubbish about death.
“Before I went to training, I wanted to go home… I don’t know what was going through my head. I even went and told my dad I was going to give up. It’s kind of sad… What I went through after the World Cup, discovering things here at home from people who had lived with me for over seven years. It is crazy.”
Richarlison got through these problems by seeing a therapist, and has encouraged others to seek similar help if they are feeling the same.
How much do Spurs pay Richarlison?
Richarlison is one of the top earners at Spurs, bringing in £90,000 per week (or £4.68m per year).
That’s according to data from Spotrac, who pin Richarlison as the fifth highest-paid (permanent) player at the club, with only Dejan Kulusevski, Cristian Romero, James Maddison, and Heung-min Son above him.
Richarlison has a market value of just under £32 according to Transfermarkt. However, reports suggest Spurs would be able to recoup the £60m they paid for him if a move to Saudi Arabia were to happen.
Richarlison’s career so far
Richarlison began his career at América Futebol Clube and Fluminese in Brazil before moving to Watford and making a name for himself in England. He later switched to Everton, becoming an icon on Merseyside.
The Brazilian spent one season with Watford in the Premier League, scoring five goals for the Hornets.
In four years at Everton between 2018 and 2022, Richarlison racked up 152 appearances, scoring 53 goals and registering 13 assists. He endeared himself with the Toffees fanbase thanks to his highly passionate and hard-working displays.
Richarlison represents Brazil at international level and, at the time of writing, has amassed 48 caps for the South American side, scoring 20 goals. He has won the Copa America and an Olympic gold medal with his country.
Richarlison’s personal information and social media
Richarlison is 1.84m tall and weighs 83kg. He was born in Nova Venécia, Brazil, on May 10, 1997, making him 27-years-old.
As well as having a strong relationship with his father and the rest of his family in Brazil, Richarlison is dating Brazilian model and TikTok star Amanda Araujo.
You can follow Richarlison on Instagram, where he has 22.8m followers. He is also fairly active on Twitter/X, where he has 1.5m followers.
For more on the Tottenham Hotspur first-team, check out our profiles on players like Brennan Johnson, Destiny Udogie, and Micky van de Ven.