Last week Tottenham Hotspur smashed their transfer record to attain the services of Dominic Solanke from AFC Bournemouth.
In a deal believed to be in the region of £65 million, it eclipsed the fees paid for Tanguy Ndombele in 2019 and Richarlison two summer's ago.
So what does that mean for the current holder of the number nine shirt? Will it be a season mostly spent on the side lines or are there other avenues to success?
New man on the block
£65m might seem a lot for a player who has only had one high-quality scoring season in the top flight, but the reception Dominic Solanke received before the pre-season friendly against Bayern Munich last Saturday proved how desperate Tottenham fans had become for an out-and-out number nine.
Solanke ticks all the boxes: Premier League proven, hitting nineteen league goals last season; has performed well in an attacking system; now entering his prime years.
A gaping hole has been very adequately addressed for Tottenham, and finally a constant feature of the discourse from last season will be put to bed. They have a striker.
Given how needed he was, it would be remarkable if Solanke doesn’t start the opening Premier League fixture against Leicester City on Monday. A punter’s guess would see him make up a front three of Heung-Min Son and Brennan Johnson either side of him.
Although the Lilywhites managed a return to European football with either Son or Richarlison as a centre forward, more was still required in the position.
Even before Solanke's arrival, Richarlison was heavily linked with moves away from N17, reportedly rejecting heavy interest from Saudi Arabia in order to stay and fight for a place in the side.
In an Instagram story last week, the Brazilian alluded to having unfinished business with Tottenham. As a fan favourite and proven international, his decision to stay would be largely welcome with fans and presumably Ange Postecoglou too.
But it is easy to see why Daniel Levy might jump at the chance to recoup the £60 million fee paid for him.
It had been suggested that Richarlison’s proposed move to the Middle East would fund any move for Solanke. Obviously this has not been the case, but if Spurs were truly happy with Richarlison’s output then a move for the Englishman would not have materialised.
That said, Richarlison still managed 11 goals from 18 league starts last season, a wholly impressive return for someone who struggled with fitness throughout. But with Solanke in, where will Richarlison’s minutes come from?
More options up top?
Richarlison’s clearly favoured - and certainly best position - is as the central striker. His career has been full of making a nuisance of himself in the box, pestering defenders and hunting down goals.
What he lacks, and what Solanke certainly has, is the movement in the box to free himself up for the easy ones.
At times last season Richarlison would stand statically in the box waiting for a ball that would never arrive, or misjudge his run to find himself running past the near post before the ball has gone in. He lacks a calmness and can often seem erratic.
His best forward runs are made playing on the shoulder of the last defender. One would think that with James Maddison in behind there would have been great service for him to sweep home often.
But Spurs' attacks almost all come from the wide areas, and although Richarlison swept home from Johnson-assisted crosses against Everton and Bournemouth in consecutive games last season, it is not his specialty.
That said, we know he has the quality to make it work. We have seen it in flashes, and it is fair to say it is probably Richarlison’s consistency rather than his quality that has forced Spurs to play the Solanke hand.
Which is why it is understandable that Spurs might want to keep the Brazillian, especially with the increased fixtures that European football will bring next season. He offers a great rotation option as well as a bench option for league games up top.
It is hard to imagine a world where both he and Solanke are able to play their preferred position, as Postecoglou is particularly woven to his single striker, 4-3-3 formation.
Playing on the left?
While at Goodison Park, Richarlison enjoyed good spells on the left of a front three with Dominic Calvert-Lewin as the main striker.
A fully firing Calvert-Lewin could draw a tangible comparison to Solanke. Both are tall, physical and able to link play up nicely - which would suit Richarlison’s game.
However, there is the caveat of the captain. Son will be the first name on the team sheet each week and, beyond wearing the armband, he is also Spurs’ best attacker.
Richarlison will understandably struggle to make an impression on a league spot on the left so long as the South Korean is fit, irrespective of his form.
An understudy to Son is no position to turn your nose up at. The only problem is it might already be taken.
Timo Werner’s one year extension at the club came as a surprise to many, but it is clear that Postecoglou has an affection for him in addition to the left side being his more natural position.
In a 1v1, Werner has an edge over Richarlison just by virtue of his raw pace. Werner might seem like a one trick pony, - taking the ball to the byline before a low cross with his left foot - but it is remarkably effective.
It feels difficult to imagine a scenario where Richarlison is seen as being able to make more of a difference coming off the bench than Werner, given how Spurs play.
What will happen this season?
It looks as if Richarlison will be resigned to playing a more bit-part role in the team this season, barring any injuries.
Of course Postecoglou is known for picking players based on merit, so the door is by no means completely shut for a good stint in the side. After all, it is a nice problem for a manger to have, and not one that has been seen at Tottenham all too often.
But as he starts his third season in N17, he will know he will have the full backing of the fans.