Tottenham Hotspur got off to the perfect start in their pre-season tour of South Korea as they defeated Team K League 6-3 in an absolute goalfest in Seoul.
And it presented Spurs fans with the chance to see four of Antonio Conte’s five new signings in action. Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster and Yves Bissouma were all out of action, however, but £60 million signing Richarlison started from the off.
The Brazilian forward featured for 77 minutes of the contest, which began with leading the line up front, before switching to the right wing in the second half, and Conte was full of praise for the versatility of his new signing.
Speaking in his post-match press conference, via football.london, the Italian said: “Today I've seen a lot of positive things about Richy. The first half he played like a number nine and the second half he played on the right, behind the striker. I think he can play in all these three positions.
“I think he is strong physically and a good personality, good character, good quality. For sure also for Richy in this period he is working and we are working on the tactical aspects with him because he has to go into our idea. At the same time we have to work on the physical aspects for him to be fit.
“But for sure he is a player that gives me important positions up front. He's a player that is a good player, strong and very good to protect the ball and attack the space. Also he made a good assist, I'm very happy that we signed him.”
Does Richarlison have a chance of becoming a regular starter at Tottenham this season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
While Richarlison didn’t manage to get on the scoresheet, he still produced the required impact that Conte was looking for, of which he showed his pleasure at having the Brazilian amongst his ranks due to the qualities and versatility he offered..
The 25-year-old had primarily operated as a striker during his four-year stay at Everton, of which he recorded a respectable 53 goals in 152 games in all competitions for the Toffees. However, he can also be operated on either wing, which he did so on a number of occasions at Goodison Park.
This followed on from his spell at Watford, where he was also utilised in both forward positions, and this is set to give him, and Conte, an extra dynamic as they head into the new season. While Richarlison can operate as a back-up striker to Harry Kane, he can also fill in on either wing during squad rotation, or as a stand-in for any injured players.
In relation to today’s game, managing 77 minutes of the contest suggests that Richarlison’s fitness is very much up to speed and that is an early promising sign for Conte, especially as Kane and Son Heung-min, who scored two each in the 6-3 win, are a week behind the rest of the squad due to their late return to pre-season.
Dejan Kulusevski became the final piece of the puzzle in Tottenham ’s front three last season and, alongside Kane and Son, helped to produce one of the deadliest trio’s in Europe in the second half of the 2021/22 campaign as Spurs ran wild in front of goal to secure fourth spot.
