Richarlison, a viable option for Real Madrid
The striker has been linked to Real Madrid on several occasions since Ancelotti’s return. He is not comfortable at Tottenham and doesn’t understand Conte.
Real Madrid are in a delicate situation. On the one hand, they are struggling to score goals and meanwhile Benzema, the team’s main source of them, has been in and out of the casualty room. Karim’s ongoing physical problems (he’s had eight injuries so this season!) are understandably having a negative effect on his figures - just when the issue of whether Madrid need to sign a striker this summer is being discussed.
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The crux of the matter is that Karim is 35 years old and has no natural replacement in the squad. One temporary solution would be to field Rodrygo as a false No.9 - as Ancelotti did in the Espanyol game - but that is not a long-term remedy. The situation is further complicated by the fact that two of the players who are viewed as Benzema’s successor, are currently not on the market. Mbappé, offered a noncommital “We’ll see” when asked about Madrid while Haaland, will not be available until 2024 at the earliest. Endrick is due to arrive this summer but he only have just turned 18 years old - apart from needing time to adapt, it would be far too much pressure to place on a teenager at one of the biggest clubs in the world.
Ahead of the 2023-24 season, there are not too many viable options for Madrid in the current market. One is Dusan Vlahovic, as detailed by AS recently, another is Richarlison de Andrade.
The Tottenham and Brazil striker has been linked to Real Madrid on several occasions since Carlo Ancelotti returned to the Spanish capital. In the summer of 2021, Goal reported that the coach had contacted his former pupil to find out about his situation, conveying his interest in them working together again. Those rumours stopped altogether however when attentions turned to Mbappé as the big favourite to reinforce Madrid’s attack. But recently, ESPN once again placed Richarlison in Madrid’s orbit. The presence of Ancelotti, who they claim would love to have his former player on board, is a key factor. Richarlison produced his best football under the Italian coach when they were both at Everton.
Richarlison scored 53 goals in 152 games during his time at Goodison - 20 of them in the 59 games he played under Carletto. In an interview with AS, he was full of praise for the Italian: “Ancelotti is a great coach, one of the greatest in history. It is no coincidence that he has conquered all the titles he has. It was a period in which I learned a lot and evolved a lot on and off the pitch. It was a privilege to have the opportunity to work with him.”
He continued, “Ancelotti always spoke to me a lot, he taught me a lot about his way of thinking about football and he certainly changed my game a lot”. So in signing Richarlison, Madrid would be bringing in a player who the coach already knows inside out.
Dismal season with Spurs
Another determining factor is the player’s situation at Tottenham. His explosive attack on against manager Antonio Conte still reverberates in north London. “There hasn’t been enough minutes given to me. This season, forgive my language, has been shit,” he seethed after Spurs’ Champions League clash with AC Milan. “I am not getting enough minutes, I was injured for a bit, but when I’m on the pitch I give my life. I work a lot every day. I want to play. I did not understand Conte’s choices. I was in a very positive moment and Conte put me back on the bench. Yesterday he tried me in the starting eleven and then... the bench, again. There was no explanation again. Let’s see what he tells us tomorrow”.
That pretty much sums up how his season has gone. When Spurs signed him from Everton last summer in exchange for 70 million euros, they did not expect to have this scenario six months on. His contribution, a measly two goals (both against Olympique Marseille back in September) - poor returns at this stage of the campaign. Hampered by injuries, he has started just seven Premier League games out of the 17 appearances he has made so far (25 in total). And added to his discomfort, he has been flitting between the right wing, the left and through the middle, without managing to link up with Kane and Son on a regular basis. Conte’s position is also in doubt, but if the Italian continues, there will be even more doubts about Richarlison’s place within the squad...
Cons and pros
For Real Madrid, or any other team, one of the down sides of signing Richarlison would be his price. Tottenham is not an easy club to negotiate with (as City can attest after the ‘Kane case’ or Madrid in its fight to sign Modric and Bale). Yet there would be other, positive factors that ESPN refers to in its report. Among them, his versatility, as he can play in any of the attacking positions; he would also have no problem fitting into the dressing room - Vinicius, Rodrygo and Militão are his team mates with Brazil and they would welcome you with open arms.
Madrid must decide whether to settle with Benzema and Álvaro Rodríguez in 2023-24 or, sign an affordable striker as a complement. Richarlison, boosted by his turbulent situation at Tottenham, could be one of them.