Tottenham Hotspur insider John Wenham has insisted that Richarlison will get plenty of game-time next season thanks to the Premier League reintroducing the five-substitute rule.
The Lowdown: Five subs reintroduced
Spurs announced the signing of the Brazilian from Everton at the start of the month after he put pen to paper on a five-year deal in north London, becoming the club’s marquee signing of the summer so far.
Earlier this year, it was confirmed that all teams in the English top flight would be allowed to make five substitutions per game as of next season, a rule which officials have decided to reintroduce since reverting back to three following the effects of the pandemic during the summer of 2020.
The Latest: Wenham’s Richarlison prediction
Speaking to Football Insider, Wenham admitted that he is confident of Richarlison getting plenty of minutes under his belt at Tottenham as a result of the new rule, regardless of the strength of the forwards already at the club.
He said: “I think the important thing is next season we will have five subs allowed in every game.
“You take the goalkeeper out and you are looking at changing half of your team, it’s a massive change. I think the idea of a set starting XI is going to go out of the window.
“You will now see a reliable 17 or 18 who are coming on in every single game at every club. I expect Richarlison will get plenty of game time.
“He will be coming in from a position of strength. Usually, when we sign someone like this we are replacing another player.
“What we have done is strengthen our strongest position. He got 10 league goals last year and has over 150 Premier League appearances.
“I’m delighted with the signing and it doesn’t matter if he isn’t better than Kane, Son or Kulusevski.”
[web_stories_embed url="https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-developments-2/" title="Tottenham latest developments!" poster="" width="360" height="600" align="none"]
The Verdict: Promising future ahead
Since Richarlison’s arrival at Tottenham, it has been confirmed that he will be wearing the number nine shirt for Spurs next season.
Whilst he might not be guaranteed to start every game, it gives a strong indicator that he will play a huge part in Antonio Conte’s plans moving forward.
The 25-year-old was the standout performer in a struggling Toffees side last season as their top scorer and highest-rated player as per WhoScored. He racked up 16 goal contributions across all competitions, showing the positive impact he can have on a starting XI.
The Brazil international should be able to link up well with his attacking team-mates Harry Kane and Son Heung-min and make a real impression in the final third under Conte. As Wenham says, the reintroduction of five substitutions in the Premier League could be of huge benefit to Richarlison, and possibly to Spurs.