‘The maximum’: International boss says £175k-a-week Tottenham player is so ‘important’ to him

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Tottenham Hotspur forward Richarlison is currently on international duty with Brazil.

The Spurs man’s return to the Selecao setup continues to be the topic of discussion in the country’s media.

Richarlison is currently in the middle of a goal drought for his nation. The Tottenham ace hasn’t netted in his last five international outings.

The Spurs striker looked visibly upset on the bench after being taken off in the second half of the 5-1 win against Bolivia last month.

‘Tactically and technically’

However, Brazil head coach Fernando Diniz has rallied round behind the Tottenham attacker, praising his contributions in his last two games.

“When you analyse the games, he made a very positive contribution, so the choice at this point is a technical one,” he told UOL.

“Obviously emotionally it’s also important for him, but it’s a technical choice, he was an important player against both Bolivia and Peru.

“Unfortunately against Peru, we still don’t know if it was offside or not, he didn’t score.

“But he was a player who, in my opinion, contributed to us winning both matches.”

Diniz made it clear that Richarlison’s contribution is very important, and goals aren’t the be-all and end-all regarding his place in the team.

“If Richarlison had scored a goal in every game he had chances to score, we’d be saying he played superbly and it was the maximum,” he continued.

“He didn’t score the goals, but he played well in both games, both tactically and technically.”

Richarlison will hope to net his first goal since the World Cup over the coming days. Brazil take on Venezuela and Uruguay in 2026 World Cup qualifying.

Our view

It’s good to see Richarlison’s manager praise the £175,000-a-week Spurs player (Salarysport) amid a tough time on the pitch.

The 26-year-old is up and running in the Premier League and he has two goals in all competitions for Tottenham this term.

Richarlison is a great player who’s just low on confidence. Hopefully he’ll be able to get his confidence up over the coming days.