Journalist Alex Crook has suggested that Tottenham Hotspur forward Richarlison could be targeted as Neymar’s replacement at Al-Hilal.
Crook has been speaking on TalkSPORT (14/11 8:15am) and shared an update on Richarlison’s future amid interest from Saudi Arabia.
Richarlison has struggled to find his best form since moving to Tottenham from Everton for a fee worth £60 million last summer.
The 26-year-old has managed just five goals in 46 appearances during his time at Spurs.
The Brazilian has shown some promise of late off the left-hand side after losing his place to Son Heung-Min as Tottenham’s No9. But his long-term future at Spurs remains unclear as he’s yet to nail down his place in Ange Postecoglou’s side.
Indeed, The Telegraph reported yesterday that the Brazil star is receiving interest from Saudi clubs.
Now, Crook has suggested he could be the man Al-Hilal look at to replace the injured Neymar.
Richarlison could replace Neymar
Speaking on TalkSPORT, Crook shared an update on Richarlison’s future at Spurs.
“In the case of Richarlison, my hunch tells me this is probably more likely to happen in the summer than in this upcoming transfer window,” the journalist said.
“We’ve seen already that the Tottenham squad is pretty threadbare when they lose a couple of key players.
“Unless they can source a replacement, I’m not sure that Ange Postecoglou particularly would want Richarlison to go now.
“But this is not necessarily fresh interest in Richarlison, there were clubs in Saudi Arabia who were targeting the Brazilian in the summer.
“And the most obvious destination would appear to be Al-Hilal, of course, because they’ve lost Neymar to a serious injury. So, it’s one to keep an eye on but I think with Richarlison probably more likely for the summer window.”
Neymar was set to undergo surgery last month after rupturing his ACL and meniscus in his left knee.
The Brazil legend looks set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after joining Al-Hilal over the summer.
It would make sense for the Saudi Pro League outfit to target Richarlison as a player who operates in the same positions as Neymar.
But it would be surprising to see Spurs sanction a sale in January. Tottenham are already short of options on the left-hand side after injuries to Ivan Perisic and Manor Solomon.
They also lack a senior back-up option to Son and Richarlison has shown he can play through the middle.
Nevertheless, if Spurs receive a huge offer and have a replacement lined up, they may be forced to at least consider offloading Richarlison.