Liverpool great brutally tells Tottenham they will ‘never win a trophy’ until Postecoglou sells £60m star

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has been warned he will have to consider upgrading Richarlison if they want to end their long wait to win a trophy with an all-time Liverpool great tearing into the Brazilian star.

Spurs’ rapid start to the season saw Postecoglou win eight and draw two of his first 10 games in charge, giving him the best start ever made by a new manager in the Premier League and raising expectations that Tottenham could be on for a successful season.

To further their hopes, the Lilywhites have made a strong start to the transfer window and have been quick out the blocks to agree a deal to sign Timo Werner, whose move should go through before the weekend is out or early next week if all goes to plan.

Furthermore, Spurs are also hoping to add Romania defender Radu Dragusin to their mix too, with Daniel Levy hopeful of securing a deal with Genoa for lower than initially expected.

The duo will boost Spurs’ hopes for a successful end to the season and Postecoglou’s aims will be to secure a top-four finish – and bring Champions League football back to N17 – while going as far as they can in the FA Cup.

Their campaign began on Friday evening as Burnley were nudged aside 1-0 thanks to a brilliant Pedro Porro goal.

Their supporters would love nothing more than success in the FA Cup, especially after such a long and agonising wait to lift a trophy. Indeed, despite a couple of near misses, their last trophy came back in 2008 when they lifted the League Cup at Wembley – some 16 years ago.

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Tottenham told Richarlison needs to be sold

However, former Liverpool defender Steve Nicol feels Spurs’ squad is lacking in the necessary quality to get their hands on silverware any time soon and feels one man in particular – Richarlison – is holding them back.

The Brazilian was a £60m signing from Everton back in summer 2021 – the costliest deal of the Antonio Conte era – but he struggled to justify that fee throughout last season.

While he has since got among the goals this season – the 48-times capped Brazil striker has seven in 19 appearances this season – Nicol has told ESPN why Postecoglou will ultimately need to replace him if he is to take the club to the next level.

Nicol said: “They’re missing a goal scorer. I mean all the questions when Son left was who’s going to put the ball in the back of the net? Who’s going to pick up on what he’s not going to be able to deliver? The truth is we don’t have an answer to that because Richarlison’s not a goalscorer.

“If ever there was a game that showed that, it was Friday night. The two (chances) we showed in the first half on his left-hand side – pretty weak, both attempts. And then, he’s whiffing on a header.

“So, you know, I guess if you are Postecoglou, you are delighted you’re through tonight, but at the same time, they should have made this easier and they would have done if they had somebody up front who actually is a goalscorer.”

Richarlison has a poor record overall for Spurs

When pointed out to Nicol that the 26-year-old was performing better this season and had got among the goals, Nicol added: “But that’s the point, you’ve just said ‘he was’. Well, because before that little spell he had, it was barren and that’s the problem with Richarlison, you know?

“His record with Tottenham is one in four. Now, you ain’t winning anything if your centre-forward is one in four, particularly when your two wide guys are really not there to score goals.

“This isn’t Salah and Mane of a couple of years ago. It’s Johnson and Kulusevski, so who’s going to score?”

Nicol’s claim that Richarlison’s record is ‘one in four’ is actually inaccurate. While his stats are better this season, his overall record for Spurs actually sits at 10 goals in 54 appearances – a strike-rate of a goal every 5.4 appearances.

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