Darren Bent says £60m Tottenham player simply isn’t good enough

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Darren Bent knows a thing or two about what it takes to be a Premier League striker.

The former England international is a member of the Premier League 100 club, and he’s led the line for some big clubs such as Aston Villa and Sunderland.

Bent also spent time at Tottenham Hotspur during his career, and speaking on An Echo of Glory, the pundit has been previewing this weekend’s north London derby.

Bent, as you can imagine, has been focused on the strikers heading into this game, and he’s been full of praise for Dominic Solanke.

Bent says he’s a big fan of Solanke and he thinks he could be a difference-maker for Tottenham.

However, in the same breath, Bent also stated that he doesn’t think Richarlison is up to the task of being Spurs’ number nine.

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Richarlison isn’t up to Tottenham challenge

Bent shared his verdict on both Solanke and Richarlison.

“When you score 19 Premier League goals for Bournemouth that carries weight,” Bent said.

“I think he can 100% get himself back into the England squad. He’s quick, he’s powerful, he’s strong, he can score a goal and I think he’s quite creative as well.

“That was the one area since Kane has gone, you’ll never replace Kane, he’s one of the best ever. But when you get someone like him, I don’t think Richarlison is up to it, but Solanke, over the next two or three years if he can stay fit you have someone there who can get between 15-20 goals for sure.”

Richarlison can be brilliant

It’s a little harsh for Bent to say that Richarlison isn’t up to playing for Tottenham.

Yes, the Brazilian had a terrible first season at Spurs, but he showed some serious glimpses of brilliance last term.

Indeed, in early 2024, Richarlison was on fire, and if he can rediscover that form and find some consistency, he will be a serious weapon for Tottenham.

The £60m man does need to improve, but it’s still too soon to completely write him off.