It's been a long season full of ups and downs for Tottenham Hotspur this year, and while they are facing the prospect of a fifth straight defeat this weekend, new boss Ange Postecoglou has done a reasonably good job given the circumstances.

The Lilywhites have had pretty severe injury problems for much of the Premier League season, and considering it's their first campaign without Harry Kane, clinching Europa League qualification would be a success.

That said, if the north Londoners want to progress under the Australian next season, they'll need to bring in some new faces in the summer and potentially upgrade on some old ones, with Richarlison's position looking particularly vulnerable.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news

According to a recent report from TEAMtalk, Spurs are one of several clubs interested in Genoa's talented Icelandic attacker, Albert Gudmundsson, ahead of the summer transfer window.

The report has revealed that, alongside the north Londoners, Manchester United and Aston Villa, are just some of the Premier League sides keen on landing the 26-year-old's signature this year. Still, the Lilywhites have one key advantage: a pre-established relationship with the Serie A outfit.

It's been claimed that the club has an 'inside track' with Genoa due to the signing of Ragù Dragusin in January and the fact that full-back Djed Spence is on loan with the Italians, and is a player they'd like to keep permanently.

Whether this relationship just helps to grease the wheels a bit or actually decreases the €30m – £26m – asking price remains to be seen, but if Spurs can get this deal done, they should, as they could have the perfect Richarlison upgrade on their hands.

How Gudmundsson compares to Richarlison

If Tottenham can get this deal over the line, Gudmundsson's positional versatility could see him threaten several players in the first team, from Heung-min Son and Kulusevski on the wings to James Maddison in attacking midfield.

However, considering his best form has come as a second striker, it would make sense to push him to the tip of the attack and, therefore, challenge the inconsistent Richarlison for a place in the XI.

So, with that in mind, how do the pair compare? Well, from a pure output perspective, which is really what matters most, it's the man from Genoa who comes out on top, scoring 16 goals and providing four assists in just 34 games this season, to give him an average of a goal involvement every 1.7 games.

In comparison, the Spurs ace has 12 goals and four assists in 31 games so far this season, meaning he is averaging a goal involvement every 1.9 games, and unfortunately for the former Everton star, his argument gets even weaker when looking at the pair's output last season.

Last year, the "devastating" Icelandic ace, as described by teammate Kevin Strootman, scored 14 goals and provided five assists in 38 games. In contrast, the Brazilian international could only manage three goals and four assists in 35 games for the north Londoners.

Appearances

38

35

Goals

14

3

Assists

1

4

Goal Involvements per Match

0.39

0.20

Appearances

34

31

Goals

16

12

Assists

4

4

Goal Involvements per Match

0.58

0.51

Alongside a better output level, Postecoglou can also simply expect the former AZ Alkmaar star to be around to play more often.

Since the start of the 2021/22 campaign, he has missed just five games through injury, while his current number nine has missed a whopping 31 games in the same period.

Ultimately, while Richarlison is a talented forward who can offer more than just goals, Gudmundsson's positional versatility, availability, and better output make it clear that he would be an upgrade overall, so if Spurs have the opportunity to complete this deal, they should absolutely do so.

Spurs struck gold on "special" ace who's as valuable as Trossard & White

The incredibly talented attacker has a bright future ahead of him.

ByJack Salveson Holmes May 9, 2024