Three London clubs have been pursuing Brazilian forwards this summer. Arsenal are signing Gabriel Jesus on a five-year deal from Manchester City; Tottenham have agreed a £50m fee for the Everton striker Richarlison; and Chelsea are pursuing a £55m deal for Raphinha. Would they be good signings and where would they fit in at their new clubs?
Richarlison: Everton to Tottenham
Tottenham are making another splash in the transfer market with the impending arrival of Richarlison for £50m. He was the star man for an underwhelming Everton side last season, directly contributing to 15 of their 43 Premier League goals (35%). Everton have been reluctant to cash in on one of their best players, but Financial Fair Play rules have prompted them to sell the Brazil international.
Spurs have been busy in the market this summer, signing Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster and Yves Bissouma, with Richarlison’s fee also eating into the £150m capital increase the club received in May. The 25-year-old should thrive under the watchful eye of Antonio Conte. Richarlison is not one to shy away from the dark arts of the game and his tenacious, battling style will give Conte an alternative approach.
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Crucially, Richarlison can operate in any of the attacking positions in Conte’s favoured 3-4-3 setup. He will provide stiff competition for Son Heung-Min and Dejan Kulusevski while also serving as serious backup for Harry Kane, something Tottenham have needed in recent seasons. Nineteen of his 28 starts in the league last season came as Everton’s lead striker, so Spurs at long last have an additional forward who can spearhead the charge if required.
Richarlison is an upgrade on the current reserve options – Lucas Moura and Steven Bergwijn – and, with Spurs back in the Champions League, Conte needs a bigger squad to push for silverware. Richarlison is unlikely to be an automatic starter but, in what will be a long season, the added strength in depth he brings will be vital.
Gabriel Jesus: Manchester City to Arsenal
Alexandre Lacazette’s return to Lyon meant Arsenal were always going to be in the market for another forward this summer. Even with Eddie Nketiah agreeing a new five-year contract, the club could not afford to go into the new season with just one out-and-out striker on the books, particularly with European football back on the agenda at the Emirates. A striker of Gabriel Jesus’ calibre is exactly what Mikel Arteta’s team needs. He was not a regular starter under Pep Guardiola last season, but Jesus still scored eight goals and provided eight assists – no Manchester City player set up more goals in the Premier League.
Arsenal were linked with poachers such as Victor Osimhen and Gianluca Scamacca, but the move for Jesus shows that Arteta wanted a striker who can link up well with teammates and create chances for other players. Considering that three of Arsenal’s top four goalscorers last season were Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe and Gabriel Martinelli – three forwards who cut inside from the flanks and take up space vacated by a striker – it’s clear that Arteta wants to stick with a similar attacking plan next season.
The positive here is that Jesus is an immediate upgrade on Lacazette. He will start as the No 9 in Arteta’s preferred 4-2-3-1 setup, but he also has experience of playing out wide for City. The 25-year-old should excel in Arsenal’s fluid, vibrant attack. After the disappointment of missing out on a top-four finish – to Tottenham no less – Arsenal will want to make amends in the coming campaign. With Jesus leading the charge, they should take a huge step forward in their bid to return to the Champions League.
Raphinha: Leeds to Chelsea
First Barcelona were leading the race, then Arsenal were the rumoured frontrunners, but now Chelsea have agreed a fee with Leeds for Raphinha. The player may still opt to move to Barcelona, but Chelsea are favourites to clinch his signature. By avoiding relegation, Leeds have been able to command a hefty fee for the Brazilian winger, who was directly involved in 14 of their 42 league goals (33%) last season.
Chelsea lacked consistency out wide last season and hope Raphinha will rectify these issues on the right flank. His willingness to cut infield from the right wing – Raphinha scored all 11 of his league goals last season with his wand of a left foot – should benefit right-back Reece James when he goes forward.
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The Brazil international would let Thomas Tuchel be more flexible with his tactics. Tuchel has favoured a three-man backline at Chelsea, but the departures of Antonio Rüdiger and Andreas Christensen leave the team short of centre-back options. Were Tuchel to swap systems to a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3, Raphinha would help him readjust. Tuchel’s best option on the right wing last season was Hakim Ziyech, but Raphinha is a more natural fit for the role.
On top of that, Raphinha is a hard worker off the ball. So, if push came to shove, he could effectively operate as an auxiliary wing-back if Tuchel needed an additional attacking option from deep. Raphinha performed superbly for Leeds last season, earning a call-up to the Brazil team and scoring his first goals for his country. He has earned a move to a side playing European football.
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