Spurs could sign £65m Richarlison upgrade

This summer Tottenham Hotspur spent big with the intention of never facing the fear of relegation again.

£100m was spent on Sandro Tonali. £85m was spent on Mateus Fernandes. However, as they travelled across London to face Brentford on Saturday afternoon, it mattered not.

They were tossed to one side, beaten comprehensively by the Bees. They had been stung and then some, losing 3-0. This was not in the script for Spurs’ first game of 2026/27.

While they face problems yet again in midfield and defence, it did showcase why Roberto De Zerbi is trying extremely hard to sign three new forwards. The word is that it is only a matter of time before Savinho and Omar Marmoush arrive. For Richarlison, that is not good news.

How Richarlison let Spurs down vs Brentford

It summed up Spurs’ woes that last season, the much-maligned Richarlison ended the campaign as their top scorer with 12 goals in all competitions.

On paper, it looked like a productive campaign for the Brazilian. On paper, pre-season looked good for him too. No player scored more during the course of their friendly matches than Richarlison with three.

Yet, when it finally mattered against Brentford at the weekend, the forward went into hiding.

His performance was indicative of a larger problem within Richarlison’s game. He’s too inconsistent. He’s not involved enough and when he is, not a lot seems to go right.

As De Zerbi’s side were hammered in west London, the former Everton man trudged off the pitch after just 68 minutes having managed just 17 touches. He only completed eight passes and didn’t have a single shot.

His involvement in the second goal summed up his day, losing possession in the build-up before Brentford went onto find the net.

It was vintage Richarlison, really. It was such a sloppy piece of play but should we be surprised? This is the performance level we have been so used to seeing from the 29-year-old in recent years. An upgrade is simply a must.

After spending a bucket load of cash on improving the midfield, the next item on the agenda for Spurs has been to bolster their forward line.

They are on the cusp of confirming a deal to sign Savinho from Manchester City and are actually working on a double deal to lure Omar Marmoush to the capital too.

Marmoush brings plenty of positives, one of which is his versatility. He could play through the middle as a loan centre-forward or out on the left.

If he plays out wide, then a move for Nicolas Jackson makes sense. Talk this week has noted how Spurs are exploring a move and according to Football FanCast sources, the Lilywhites have opened talks with Chelsea to understand the conditions of a deal.

While it remains to be seen if the Blues would be open to selling to a traditional top four rival remains to be seen but they are said to be seeking £65m to let him go.

So, what makes Jackson such an exciting proposition, particularly for Tottenham?

Well, the fact is that he has the ability to better both Richarlison and Dominic Solanke in Spurs colours. Sure, that’s not hard, but Jackson is one of the most underrated strikers around right now.

Notably regarded as “one of the best strikers in the world” by his agent Ali Barat, the Senegalese’s stock has fallen in recent years. He fell down the pecking order at Chelsea after they signed Joao Pedro and he’s just had a year of playing second fiddle to Spurs hero Harry Kane at Bayern Munich.

Despite his lack of game time – he played just 1,320 minutes last term – he was still among the goals. Jackson found the net on 11 occasions, once every 120 minutes. To put that number into context, Marmoush found the net every 174 minutes last term. Richarlison scored every 220 minutes.

REUTERS/Peter Powell

It is easy to forget just how clinical the Chelsea man has been in recent years. The scorer of a hat-trick against Spurs in 2023/24, he bagged 17 times that term, the best tally of his career.

Not just more clinical in front of goal than Richarlison, he’s simply a more dynamic threat in the final third.

The numbers provide evidence that Jackson is far more efficient when it comes to creating chances for his teammates, providing more goalscoring opportunities from open play. He’s also a more efficient carrier and dribbler.

In fact, the former Bayern loanee is one of the best carriers when compared to positionally similar players in Europe’s top five leagues. Last term, he ranked among the finest 13% of centre-forwards for progressive carries.

Very much a classic run off the shoulder of the final man type of striker, Jackson could offer so much to this De Zerbi side. He’s quick, he’s a nuisance and he knows where the back of the net is. Richarlison better watch out.