Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Dec 17 (NationPress) - The Brazilian football club Fluminense is moving forward with its intentions to acquire forward Richarlison from Tottenham Hotspur, as announced by the club's president on Monday. Mario Bittencourt expressed optimism about the 27-year-old's potential return to the club where he played from 2016 to 2017.

“We have formally declared our interest in Richarlison,” Bittencourt informed the media. “We understand the challenges in bringing him back, but we believe that the opportunity to be closer to the Brazilian national team, at the club where he thrived, might appeal to him.”

As per local media reports on Monday, Palmeiras is also keen on signing the Brazilian international, though they have not yet begun negotiations with Spurs, according to Xinhua.

This season has been tough for Richarlison at Tottenham, with injuries restricting him to merely seven appearances across all competitions and netting just one goal. Fluminense concluded the 2024 Brazilian Serie A season in 13th place, accumulating only 46 points from 38 matches.

The Rio de Janeiro club has commenced discussions with Richarlison's representatives and Tottenham officials regarding a potential transfer to Fluminense in January 2025, as reported by Globo Esporte.

It was also mentioned that Fluminense sees Richarlison as a potential emblematic figure for the club during the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, scheduled to take place in the United States from June 14 to July 13.

Richarlison's season at Tottenham has indeed been challenging, as injuries have limited his participation to just seven matches and one goal. The 27-year-old previously played for Fluminense in 2016 and 2017 before moving on to Watford and Everton, eventually joining Tottenham in 2022.