Spurs could smash transfer record to sign "terrifying" Richarlison upgrade

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It's set to be an incredibly important summer for Tottenham Hotspur this year as Daniel Levy and Co hunt out the best players to help support Ange Postecoglou's lofty ambitions in North London.

The Australian endured a mixed debut campaign with the club, but with Europa League football secured, there were more positives than negatives.

That said, with six teams scoring more goals than them last season, there is clearly some room for improvement up top, and based on recent reports, they may well get that improvement.

The latest player touted for a move to N17 would be a seismic signing, breaking the club's transfer record and signalling to the rest of the league that they mean business - although it might not be great news for Richarlison.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news

According to a recent report from Sky Sports, Tottenham have made signing a new, versatile forward a 'priority' this summer and have identified RB Leipzig's Loïs Openda as a potential target.

The report claims that no bids or offers have been made thus far and does not mention a potential price, but another report from Caught Offside earlier this year revealed that the German club have placed a massive €100m price tag on the player's head this summer, which converts to around £84m.

This enormous price is due partly to his impressive form but also because he has a €80m release clause - £68m - which will kick in next summer.

It would be an extraordinary transfer to get over the line, but Spurs have plenty of money to spend, and if they want to help Postecoglou realise his aims in the coming season, then signing Openda would go a long way in doing that, even if it spells trouble for Richarlison.

How Openda compares to Richarlison

If Spurs are able to acquire Openda this summer, his primary competition for the striker role in Postecoglou's team would be Richarlison. But how do the pair compare?

Well, from a pure output perspective, it's hardly even a competition at all. In 45 appearances last season, the "terrifying" Belgian marksman, as journalist Seb Stafford-Bloor dubbed him, scored 28 goals and provided seven assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 1.28 games for Leipzig.

In comparison, the Lilywhites' Brazilian striker scored 12 goals and provided four assists in 31 appearances, and while that is still an impressive rate of return, his average of a goal involvement every 1.93 games is notably worse than the man who could replace him.

Okay, so what about what's going on under the hood then?

Does the former RC Lens gem also boast superior underlying numbers? Unfortunately for the former Everton ace, the answer is a resounding yes.

For example, aside from progressive passes and passing accuracy, the 24-year-old comes out on top in most other relevant metrics, such as non-penalty expected goals and assists, progressive carries, shots and shots on target, key passes, shot and goal-creating actions, and successful take-ons, all per 90.

Shot-creating actions are pieces of play that lead to a shot. These include moments such as a pass, take-on or foul being drawn.

Ultimately, Richarlison is a talented player, but over the last two seasons, he just hasn't shown enough to suggest he's the striker to take Spurs forward, and while Openda will cost a King's ransom, his performances last season and underlying numbers indicate he'd be more than worth it.