Sky Sports pundit Paul Robinson has been left astounded by new Tottenham Hotspur signing Richarlison so far this season.
The Lowdown: Tottenham move
Having arrived at Hotspur Way earlier this summer in a deal worth £60m, Spurs manager Antonio Conte has eased the Brazil international into the starting XI, with his first four appearances coming off the bench.
However, Richarlison was handed his first start in a Lilywhites shirt at the weekend in Tottenham’s 2-1 victory over Fulham.
As quoted by football.london, the Italian praised the 25-year-old for his ‘amazing’ performance against the Cottagers, in which he played the full 90 minutes.
The Latest: Robinson’s comments
Robinson, who works as a pundit for Sky Sports, has sung Richarlison’s praises for how well he has adapted to life in N17.
Speaking with Football Insider about the Brazil forward, the former Spurs goalkeeper claimed: “Wow, he is looking like a top-class signing.
“I was really impressed with him at the end of last season for Everton. He was playing well in a side that was really struggling. He scored some important goals. When it really mattered, he stood up to be counted.
“Now we are seeing him be better with better players around him. He is getting the service and the interaction. Players are seeing his runs quicker.
“He is looking like a top-class player at the moment. I have no doubt that he is going to prove to be a great signing.”
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The Verdict: Great signing
When looking at Richarlison’s underlying statistics, it is no wonder why Conte wanted to bring him to Hotspur Way this summer.
As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year, the 25-year-old ranks in the top 2% for blocks, the top 4% for tackles and the top 5% for pressures.
On Saturday, he achieved the joint-highest Sofascore rating of any Spurs player (7.7), winning nine duels and four tackles while also providing the assist for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's opener and seeing a late goal of his own chalked off by VAR.
Having scored 53 goals in 152 appearances for Everton, Richarlison is certainly a Premier League proven talent who can be relied upon to finish his chances in the final third.
Therefore, with more rotation possibly now expected for Dejan Kulusevski as the Champions League gets underway, the Brazilian could become a crucial player for Spurs as they head into a busy schedule this season.