Poor Richarlison. The guy just can’t seem to catch a break. After picking up an injury right after the start of the season, he came back in November, played exactly one match, made a game-winning assist, and then pulled his hamstring, putting him back on the long term injured list.
Richy also doesn’t seem destined to be at the club long. There was confirmed interest in him from Saudi Arabia last summer, which the player turned down, and Spurs seem interested in listening to offers for him as Postecoglou continues to retool the side to fit his tactics.
So a new report that Fluminese president Mario Bittencourt has confirmed in a press conference today that he’s interested in bringing Richarlison back to his old club in Brazil has piqued my interest. Richarlison spent two seasons at Fluminese, scoring 17 goals in 54 appearances, and setting up his eventual move to Watford. As reported in Brazilian outlet Globo, Bittencourt said that he’s trying to open negotiations with Spurs for a transfer for Richy, and while there’s nothing imminent, Tottenham has not closed the door.
“Tottenham responded that they are open to the offer. But that they are not currently interested in getting rid of the player. But they are willing to listen. We are also talking to the player to see if he is interested in returning.
“What is certain is that we have expressed formal interest in Richarlison. We know how difficult it will be to bring him. But we believe that he may want to be close to the Brazilian national team, to return home, to the club where he stood out.
“I have a close relationship with him. I was the vice-president of football when he arrived. The head of scouts (Ricardo Corrêa) was the head of scouts in 2016, he was the one who suggested the signing when he was the top scorer in Serie B. I was the one who brought Richarlison in as the vice-president of football. We have created a relationship, not a friendship, but a strong one. We have drawn up an initial document with the English club, without an offer yet, but asking if they would like to negotiate.”
The report makes it clear that Spurs aren’t necessarily champing at the bit to send Richy away, but the fact that they’re willing to listen to offers is pretty telling. Bittencourt’s further comments make it sound like he might have the cart a bit in front of the horse, hinting that there might be possibilities for a large wage but low transfer fee arrangement, or the inclusion of some young Fluminese talent as makeweight. And you can’t say Bittencourt isn’t swinging for the fences, considering one of the other names he seems interested in bringing back to Brazil.
“Our optimism lies in offering the athlete a project in which he can regain his brilliance. His personal achievements. There are no financial negotiations underway. If there are, we have interesting assets, especially young ones. This could be part of the operation. We have not mentioned any names, there is nothing concrete, but English clubs are looking for our young players from time to time. We can talk about preferences, priorities for the future, but it is still very embryonic.
“If all this conspires, plus the gods of football, the great Tricolor fans who are with us in spirit, if everything helps, there are two players who would be a dream. Our Pombo, Richarlison, if he wants to, the doors are open. And another who has not played here, but who I admire as a player, who is a player everyone would like to have, is Neymar. If one day we have the conditions, who knows... Richarlison played here and knows the wonders that the fans can do”
Now look — there isn’t much here that suggests that Richy is packing his bags. He’s certainly not going anywhere in January unless he’s able to make a significant recovery from his current injury. But I can see a situation where Richarlison would be interested in returning to Brazil so he can potentially get back into the national team, and Spurs working out a deal for a very low transfer fee so they can get him off the books and bring in Richy’s replacement this summer. This article makes it all sound very loosey-goosey, and it is. But that doesn’t mean it’s not at least moderately plausible, if Richy wants to make a change.
That said, nothing about this makes it sound as though anything is imminent, so keep your powder dry for now.