Tottenham Hotspur have a massive summer ahead of them this year as, following a Premier League season full of ups and downs, they must ensure they bring in the right players to support Ange Postecoglu’s vision.
The Australian already has a plethora of talented stars to choose from, such as Son Heung-min, Cristian Romero, and Destiny Udogie, but there are some who should probably be replaced in the coming weeks.
One of them is Richarlison, who, while looking good at points last year, has flattered to deceive in his two campaigns at the club.
So, it’s unsurprising that one of the latest players touted for a move to Spurs is a prolific number nine who has been outscoring the Brazilian for years.
Tottenham Hotspur transfer news
According to a recent report from the Guardian, Tottenham are one of several clubs in a ‘tussle’ for the signature of LOSC Lille ace Jonathan David this summer.
Alongside the Lilywhites, the report names Manchester United, Chelsea and West Ham United as the interested parties.
The extra competition is far from ideal, but the good news is that the Canadian is only set to cost £20m due to his contract expiring next summer.
It could prove challenging to get ahead of the other interested parties, but considering his form in recent years and the reported price tag, Spurs cannot afford to miss out on this transfer, although it could be bad news for Richarlison.
How David compares to Richarlison
So, if Spurs can get ahead of the competition and bring David to North London this summer, his main rival for the out-and-out striker position would be Richarlison, and based on how the pair have played in recent seasons, he is unlikely to struggle in displacing him from the team.
For example, in the last four campaigns, the Lille star, whom Canadian journalist Tony Marinarohas described as “one of the best strikers in the world,” has scored 84 goals and provided 18 assists in 183 appearances.
This means that, despite being just 24, he has averaged a goal involvement every 1.79 games for four years.
In contrast, the former Everton man scored 39 goals and provided 16 assists in 139 appearances in the same period, which equates to a goal involvement every 2.52 games.
Unfortunately for the Nova Venécia-born star, he doesn’t fare much better when we compare their striker-relevant underlying numbers.
| David vs Richarlison | ||
| Stats per 90 | David | Richarlison |
| Expected Goals + Assists | 0.71 | 0.70 |
| Goals | 0.69 | 0.62 |
| Assists | 0.22 | 0.21 |
| Progressive Passes | 2.71 | 2.29 |
| Progressive Carries | 1.61 | 1.57 |
| Shots | 2.64 | 3.48 |
| Shots on Target | 1.51 | 1.45 |
| Shot-Creating Actions | 2.64 | 2.05 |
| Goal-Creating Actions | 0.31 | 0.30 |
| Successful Take-Ons | 0.51 | 0.60 |
| All Stats via FBref for the 23/24 Domestic Season | ||
Here, the “mind-blowing” Lille star, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, comes out ahead in most important metrics, including expected goals and assists, actual goals and assists, progressive passes and carries, shots on target, and both shot and goal-creating actions as well, all per 90.
In his defence, the Lilywhites nine does win out in a couple of metrics such as shots and successful take-ons, but that really is about it.
Copyright © 2024
Leave a Reply