Tottenham have already had a positive start to what is expected to be a busy summer in N17, with the club announcing their first signing on Tuesday. Ivan Perisic will make the move to the capital, after his contract at Inter Milan expires this summer.
Antonio Conte wants at least six new signings this summer, with Spurs already linked with players across the world, ahead of the upcoming transfer window. The manager, world-class facilities and Champions League football are all likely to attract potential new players to move to north London.
However, the January window saw the Lilywhites linked with a number of players who then ended up making the move elsewhere. This was seen with Luis Diaz going to Liverpool and Adama Traore moving to Barcelona.
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Tottenham will be hoping this isn't repeated this summer and one player they have already been linked with, is Gabriel Jesus. The current Manchester City striker made 28 Premier League appearances last season, scoring eight goals and registering nine assists.
Pep Guardiola is clearly a big fan of the Brazilian, which was highlighted in his comments in September last year. "He runs for everyone and when he scores, I am the happiest man," Guardiola admitted. "He can play in the three positions upfront, and he does it really well.
"Gabriel goes down, gets up and tries again. He’s a young player and one of the best signings we have done in this period together."
However, Jesus could look to make a move away from Manchester, in the hope for more regular game time. The 25-year-old has been linked with a move to Tottenham, but football.london understands he is one of Arsenal's primary options the summer.
football.london also understands that Edu has been in talks with Jesus' agent since November, regarding the potential move. Spurs have the attraction of Champions League football, which the Gunners can't offer, but Mikel Arteta is likely to be able to offer the striker more regular game time than Conte would.
Therefore if Jesus doesn't pick Tottenham as his next destination, the Italian is likely to look elsewhere for a striker. Harry Kane had a slow start to the season but ended it on a high and has been in good form, since Conte's arrival.
However, the Lilywhites have struggled without a backup centre-forward and are likely to want to get someone in who can either be that back-up, or play across the front three and be an option to also play with Kane. Former Spurs goalkeeper, Paul Robinson, has picked out Everton's Richarlison as a potential option.
"Richarlison is a very good player. He has shown his character this season," Robinson admitted, when speaking to Football Insider. "He has scored some very important goals for Everton. His attitude and character has been questioned at times but this year he has stepped up to the plate.
"When Everton have needed him he has been there. Richarlison and Jesus are the type of player Spurs need. They are strikers who can play out wide," he added. "You wouldn’t sign a striker of that quality to sit on the bench behind Harry Kane. A versatile striker who can also play as a winger is the type of player Spurs need to look at."
Various reports have linked Richarlison with a move to Tottenham this summer. The Brazilian scored ten goals and registered five assists, in his 30 Premier League appearances under Frank Lampard last season. The 25-year-old has also played under Carlo Ancelotti, who was full of praise for the striker in 2020. "He is still young, but he has got quality and character," Ancelotti explained.
"He is very cool-headed, he rarely misses a chance. With a bit more experience and knowledge, he will be able to strengthen his qualities. He is complete. He feels comfortable in the area, outside the area, on the counter-attack. He can play on the right, on the left, centred - he is a very, very good player for us," he added.
This will all be positive for Conte to hear - a player who has quality, is versatile and willing to learn. According to CIES, Richarlison is valued at up to £60million, so would be on the more expensive side for Tottenham.
However, if Fabio Paratici is able to get some players out the door and raise more funds, on top of ENIC's £150million investment, a player like Richarlison could be worth the money.
