Spurs line up move for £43m Richarlison upgrade

It’s been a rough few weeks for Tottenham Hotspur as four Premier League defeats in a row have left them seven points off Aston Villa in the final Champions League spot.

Ange Postecoglou’s team looks entirely different from the one that went ten games unbeaten at the start of the campaign. Still, considering it’s the Australian’s first season in charge, it would be unfair to chastise him too much.

Moreover, with the summer transfer window just around the corner, he’ll have another opportunity to further shape the team into one he wants to manage, and based on recent reports, he could soon have an upgrade on the injury-prone Richarlison.

Tottenham transfer news

According to a report from German publication BILD (via TEAMtalk), Tottenham Hotspur are positioning themselves to hijack Liverpool’s pursuit of Egypt international Omar Marmoush this summer.

The report has revealed that the Eintracht Frankfurt striker has caught the attention of both the Lilywhites and Merseysiders following his successful season in Germany’s top flight, and as such, his side are preparing for his departure in the coming months.

While this is great news for the North Londoners, it won’t be a cheap signing to complete, with the report claiming that Frankfurt won’t authorise the sale unless offers of around €50m – £43m – are made.

It would undoubtedly represent a sizeable investment in the team from Daniel Levy and Co, but with goals seriously drying up in recent weeks, it looks like it would be one worth making.

How Marmoush compares to Richarlison

Now, if Spurs were to get ahead of the Reds and sign Marmoush in the summer, the fact that his primary and most effective, position in the team is as the central number nine would certainly threaten Richarlison’s standing in the side, but how do the pair stack up against one another?

Well, from a straightforward goals and assists perspective, it’s the Frankfurt ace who comes out ahead with 16 goals and six assists in 39 games, meaning he averages a goal involvement every 1.7 games.

In comparison, the former Everton star has scored 12 goals and provided four assists in 31 games so far this term, averaging a goal involvement every 1.9 games for Postecoglou’s Lilywhites.

Unfortunately for the Brazilian, while putting up a bit more of a fight, he falls even further behind his potential replacement when comparing their underlying numbers.

The positives are that he produces a higher non-penalty expected goal and assists figure, scores more non-penalty goals, provides more assists, and takes more shots per 90, but in all other relevant metrics, he comes out a clear second-best.

For example, the Egyptian produces more progressive passes and carries, maintains a better passing accuracy, produces more shot and goal-creating actions, completes significantly more take-ons, is dispossessed less often, makes more ball recoveries, and a higher percentage of his shots are on target, all per 90.

Another crucial factor to consider is the players’ injury records. While the Spurs forward has missed 31 games through injury in the last three seasons, the “tireless” Marmoush, as described by Eintracht boss Dino Toppmoller, has missed just 11 games in the same time, suggesting he’d be a far more reliable option over the course of a campaign.

Ultimately, Richarlison is a talented striker who could continue to be useful for Tottenham, but with a better injury record, a more productive season behind him, and underlying numbers that show the level of his all-round game, Levy should sign Marmoush as an upgrade in the summer.