Tottenham forward Richarlison has lifted the lid on how Spurs won the race to sign him from Everton this summer.
The Brazil international swapped Goodison Park for the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in a £60m move in July – but he might have ended up at one of Spurs' London rivals had things panned out differently.
Richarlison has confirmed that Chelsea lodged a bid – and it seems that he was also on Arsenal's radar.
Speaking while away on international duty, Richarlison said:
"I know Chelsea made an offer, and I believe Arsenal also contacted Everton to ask about my situation, but Spurs came in and paid the fee, you know?
"It's as simple as that. Everton had to sell some players to avoid a Financial Fair Play problem and the negotiations were very brief, to be honest."
"I was on holiday in Brazil when I heard that Tottenham had made Everton an offer. I was happy because they are a huge team. Then it was all about the clubs negotiating a deal, and fortunately, everything went well."
The 25-year-old went on to highlight how Spurs boss Antonio Conte personally convinced him to join, adding:
"Antonio Conte called me during the negotiations and expressed how much he'd like to have me on board; that was vital for my decision."
Richarlison has made an impressive start to his Spurs career, scoring twice (both goals in the 2-0 win over Marseille on his Champions League debut) and providing two assists.
And he's carried his club form into the current international break, bagging a brace in Brazil's 3-0 friendly win over Ghana on Friday.
Brazil face Tunisia on Tuesday in their final game before the World Cup 2022 – where Richarlison will be hoping to feature on the biggest stage of all for the first time.
He'll also no doubt be itching to get his first taste of the North London derby when Spurs return to action away to Arsenal on Saturday 1 October.
