Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur

Premier League • England

Pundit labels Tottenham star as ‘one of the best buys of the summer’ despite making only one start

Richarlison, Emerson Royal Tottenham

Chris Sutton believes that Tottenham striker Richarlison is already looking like one of the best deals of the summer transfer window.

The Brazilian made his first Spurs start in the 2-1 Premier League win over Fulham on Saturday and had a goal ruled out late on as Tottenham narrowly beat their London rivals despite a dominant display.

Richarlison got the nod ahead of Dejan Kulusevski against the Cottagers. Indeed, he was rewarded for impressing as a substitute in the opening games of the campaign.

The 25-year-old started on the right of Antonio Conte’s front three and was arguably their most potent threat, despite another goal for Harry Kane and an improved display from Son Heung-min.

Richarlison then switched to playing centrally when Kane was replaced. And it was that position that he saw a goal ruled out for an offside decision on Ryan Sessegnon.

Reflecting on the game, Sutton felt the former Everton man was comfortably Spurs’ best player.

The former Blackburn forward wrote, in his Daily Mail column: “Richarlison was the best thing about Tottenham’s 2-1 win over Fulham. He didn’t get a goal on his first Premier League start but he did everything else.

“The way he broke in behind Fulham’s back line, his physicality, how he was linking up with Harry Kane as if they were old team-mates, his work-rate with and without the ball.

“Richarlison already looks like one of the best buys of the summer. And Antonio Conte must be giddy that he got him.”

The Brazilian looks set to start again when Tottenham take on Marseille on Wednesday evening.

Conte’s men will look to make a strong start to the competition when they face the French side in their opening Champions League group game.

Tottenham dark horses on Champions League return

Indeed, Manchester City legend Sergio Aguero believes they could be dark horses for the tournament.

He told Stake: “With [former manager, Mauricio] Pochettino, Tottenham already had a great performance in the Champions League. Now with Conte, a coach with a lot of experience, they are managing to be a very solid team.

“He knows how he wants to play and his counterattack can be lethal. [Conte] has added to Kane and Son with Richarlison and two wingers who are very good in [Dejan] Kulusevski and [Ivan] Perisic. [Spurs] will be a very difficult rival for any team.

“They could be a big threat in Europe this year.”

Tottenham were given a favourable group-stage draw, after also being handed Europa League winners Eintracht Frankfurt and Sporting Lisbon.

A trip to Portugal beckons next week before back-to-back games against Frankfurt. The first is in Germany on October 4, they then host the German side on October 12.

Conte’s men finish up with a home game against Sporting in late October. They then head to Marseille on November 1.

Spurs will be hoping to go one better than the 2018-19 season, when they reached their first final. Defeat to Liverpool followed though in what proved to be the beginning of the end for Mauricio Pochettino.

READ MORE: Tottenham star has ‘not taken’ Richarlison arrival well