Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly willing to accept £20m less for a player than they were demanding last summer, but one Premier League club are still hesitant to pay the Lilywhites’ asking price.
There could be a lot of departures from Tottenham this summer as the club continues rebuilding their squad, and one senior man now looks certain to be part of the exodus.
It has been widely reported that Richarlison is expected to exit Spurs this summer after enduring another injury-hit campaign at N17.
The Tottenham forward has been linked with Saudi clubs, but over recent weeks, it has been claimed by a number of sources that Everton are keen on re-signing Richarlison this summer.
Everton not willing to pay Tottenham’s asking price for Richarlison
Journalist Ben Jacobs has revealed that while Spurs were demanding £60m for Richarlison last summer, they are now willing to drop their asking price to around £40m-£45m.
However, he revealed that this still puts the Brazilian out of the Toffees’ budget, suggesting that David Moyes’s men are more likely to sign a younger forward.
Ben Jacobs told GiveMeSport: “There is no doubt that Richarlison is going to be looking for a move this summer. Saudi Arabia are interested, with Al-Ahli trying in the past. But my understanding is that Everton are reticent on Richarlison because of the injury record and the price that Tottenham are asking for.
“It’s not going to be quite as high from Tottenham’s perspective as last summer, when the number was £60 million or no business, but Richarlison is still valued by Tottenham in the region of £40 million to £45 million. That’s probably going to be prohibitive as far as Everton are concerned.
“Everton will be looking for a No.9. Their internal task is to determine whether they are going to extend Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s contract. There is a willingness to engage, but nothing is advanced.
“Keep an eye on Everton because a new forward is likely to come in and it will be one of the top priorities, but I don’t think a Richarlison return is realistic. I’m told a younger kind of profile will be looked at by Everton.”
Tottenham have been linked with Dominic Calvert-Lewin
This update from Jacobs is significant for Tottenham in more ways than one, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin thought to be on Spurs’ radar.
The Lilywhites are allegedly plotting a move to sign the England international on a free transfer if he does not put pen to paper on a new deal with the Toffees.
Tottenham may thus be watching Calvert-Lewin’s contract talks closely as it could affect not just a potential sale but also a possible purchase.