Richarlison moved to Tottenham Hotspur from Everton this summer transfer, and the Brazilian footballer recently credited Spurs coach Antonio Conte as the reason that sealed the £60 million deal. 

Speaking to Standard Sport, the 25-year-old forward confirmed that top-flight Premier League clubs Chelsea and Arsenal had expressed an interest in him. “Yes, I know Chelsea made an offer in the summer… and I believe Arsenal contacted Everton to ask about my situation”, he said, adding, “But Spurs came in and paid the fee, you know? It’s as simple as that”. 

Richarlison now has a contract with Spurs until 2027. 

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“Everton had to sell some players to avoid a Financial Fair Play problem, and the negotiations were very brief, to be honest”, he continued. Richarlison was on a holiday in Brazil when he received the offer from Spurs. 

“I was happy because they are a huge team. Then it was all about the clubs negotiating a deal, and fortunately, everything went well”, he concluded. 

The Brazilian was speaking after his team’s 3-0 win over Ghana, and Goal reported him saying that Conte’s phone call was “vital for my decision”. The Italian manager expressed how much he’d like to have Richarlison on board. 

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Spurs face Arsenal next for a north London derby on October 1. Richarlison will be looking to show the Gunners what they missed out on, as Conte’s side attempts to get the best of Mikel Arteta’s team and move to the top of the Premier League table. 

This season, Richarlison has appeared in six games but has not found the back of the net yet. He has two assists to his name but has also picked up two yellows already. Spurs faced Leicester in their last PL fixture, which became a washout in the second half with Son Heung-min scoring a hattrick in 14 minutes.