Spurs inquire about Anthony Gordon as part of Richarlison deal with Everton

Tottenham Hotspur continue to hold talks with Everton over the possible transfer of Richarlison, a player that Fabio Paratici and Antonio Conte have targeted that provides depth to all of the positions in the attacking band. The problem is that Everton want a fee north of £50m, which Spurs have been balking at since talks started.

While these talks are ongoing, it seems Spurs have interest in another Toffee: England U-21 International Anthony Gordon. This was initially reported by Lyall Thomas at Sky Sports, but Alasdair Gold has confirmed this and that it might be part of the Richarlison deal.

Gordon is another attacking player who can also play wingback, which would potentially give Conte more depth and flexibility with how he wants to build his squad week over week. This will also be the fourth player mentioned as a possible part of a swap deal, joining Spurs players Harry Winks and Lucas Moura as rumored assets.

The 21-year-old wasn’t bad and is well-liked by both Everton and supporter, but with Everton’s financial woes being a major problem, a homegrown player is valuable to get some breathing room. Gordon wouldn’t be a starter for Spurs, but quality depth is never bad.

If you’re asking yourself why so many players are being discussed in this deal, there’s actually a pretty good reason: Fee dodging. Everton apparently have a 10% sell-on they’ll owe Watford if the fee is over £40m. Avoiding that fee as part of a normal transfer is impossible given their valuation of the Brazilian International, so making this a somewhat complicated multi-player swap might avoid that. Spurs seem more than willing to send both Winks and Lucas to Merseyside so why not get Gordon as part of it and toss in some cash?

Another complication is that Spurs might be playing chicken with Everton. The new fiscal year starts July 1 and there’s been reports that Everton want this done before then so they can get the sale on the books for their current fiscal. That may or may not be true, but it’s another layer to a complicated transfer. Spurs are still kicking the tires on Leeds United’s Raphinha, but that seems to be very secondary.

Keep being patient on this one. Right now, Spurs are fighting with Chelsea for Richarlison’s signature but Everton seem receptive to the idea of.