Tottenham Hotspur and Daniel Levy have splashed the cash on a number of attacking players in recent years after losing Harry Kane to Bayern Munich.
The likes of Dominic Solanke and Brennan Johnson joined in big-money deals from Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest respectively, but before the duo moved to north London, Richarlison was a marquee signing from Everton.
Costing in the region of £60m, big things were expected from the Brazilian, but it hasn’t worked out for Richarlison at Tottenham. The attacker, who has been used through the middle and on either wing during his time at Spurs, has also suffered various injury problems and is on the treatment table again as the run-in begins.
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Richarlison did hit double figures for goals in the Premier League last season, but he failed to hit these heights in his other two campaigns for Spurs and was linked with a move to Saudi Arabia last year and a return to the Toffees in 2025.
And with Tottenham’s forwards drawing another blank in their 1-0 defeat to Chelsea in midweek, another striker will surely be on Levy’s wishlist in the summer.
Here, we’ve looked at a handful of centre-forwards Spurs could target to replace Richarlison.
1 Jonathan David Lille
One centre-forward set to be a man in demand this summer is Jonathan David, who is on course to become a free agent at the end of the 2024/25 season.
The Lille star has scored more than 100 goals for his current employers, taking his overall career tally to over 170 goals. He’s been linked with a move to Tottenham in recent times. The Canada international appears to be keen on a move to Barcelona, though, so Spurs may find it difficult to persuade David to move to north London.
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Liam Delap has been a shining light in a struggling Ipswich Town side this season and looks set to be on the move even if the Tractor Boys avoid relegation from the Premier League.
The former Man City youngster is into double figures for top-flight goals this season and starred at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in a 2-1 win for Ipswich in November, grabbing a goal and an assist.
Spurs have since been linked with a move for Delap, who could prove to be a long-term upgrade on Richarlison.
3 Ademola Lookman Atalanta
Ademola Lookman appears to be at the peak of his powers and has starred in Italy for Atalanta in recent years, including scoring a hat-trick in the 2024 Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen.
The Nigeria international came through the ranks at Charlton Athletic, but struggled to make a telling impact at Everton and RB Leipzig, as well as during loan spells at Fulham and Leicester City.
However, with Atalanta, Lookman has impressed in a new central role as a second striker or as a centre-forward, finding the net regularly in Serie A and the Champions League.
He’s been linked with a Premier League return, and perhaps Spurs should be in the race if they want to replace Richarlison adequately.
4 Mateo Retegui Atalanta
Another attacking star playing for Atalanta is Mateo Retegui, who is the current top scorer in Serie A with 24 goals in 28 games at the time of writing.
The Italy international is averaging a goal every 79 minutes and one of the best goal conversion records in the league, resulting in rumours of a £50m move to Arsenal.
At 25 years of age, he could be an ideal replacement for Richarlison, though Spurs may need to act fast if they want his services.
5 Randal Kolo Muani PSG & Juventus
Before signing Mathys Tel on loan from Bayern Munich, Tottenham were heavily linked with a move to sign Randal Kolo Muani, only for the Frenchman to join Juventus on loan.
There is an option for Juventus to make their move for the forward permanent in the summer, but if they don’t and Spurs decide to send Tel back to Bayern with an upgrade on Richarlison on their shopping list, they could look at returning for Kolo Muani.
He scored five goals in his first three games as a Juventus player, showing his quality in front of goal – something Richarlison has struggled with during his time with Spurs.
6 Evann Guessand Nice
Another forward who was recently on Tottenham’s radar was Evann Guessand of Nice, who, at 23 years of age, could be a smart signing in the long term in north London.
Like Richarlison, the Ivory Coast international has played across the front three and is having his best career to date in terms of both goals and assists. He appears to be a star in the making, so Spurs could be on to a winner with Guessand should they go back in for him this summer.
7 Serhou Guirassy Borussia Dortmund
If experience is what Spurs feel they need in the final third, Borussia Dortmund’s Serhou Guirassy could be the man to replace Richarlison.
The Guinea international was reportedly open to joining Spurs before his move to Dortmund in 2024 and has continued to score goals on a regular occurrence at the Signal Iduna Park.
Now in his late 20s, Guirassy has already scored more than 10 goals in the Bundesliga and 10 in the Champions League this season, so he could be an excellent addition at the right price.
8 Moise Kean Fiorentina
One forward who already has Premier League experience is Moise Kean, albeit during a period in his career he’d probably want to forget.
While playing alongside Richarlison at Everton, Kean struggled at Goodison Park, but has since found form once again in Italy, firstly with Juventus and now with Fiorentina.
Still only 25 years of age, Kean has already enjoyed the best goalscoring campaign of his career in 2024/25, and he may feel he has unfinished business in the Premier League.
9 Brian Brobbey Ajax
Spurs reportedly made a late enquiry for Ajax forward Brian Brobbey during the January transfer window, with some claiming he could be a dream addition for Dejan Kulusevski.
A powerful striker who has been dubbed as a future star by many, Brobbey now has more than 50 goals for Ajax in over 150 games, hitting double figures in the last two Eredivisie campaigns.
With Tottenham keen, he could be another to keep an eye on heading into the summer.
10 Lois Openda RB Leipzig
Lois Openda was mooted as an “interesting Richarlison replacement” in 2024, but as we know, a move never materialised.
Plying his trade for RB Leipzig, the Belgium international has continued to impress in the Bundesliga, reaching 21 goals and assists combined in 2024/25 heading into April.
Primarily an out-and-out centre-forward, Openda could form an eye-catching partnership with Solanke, with the former’s pace and the latter’s strength possibly causing havoc for defences.