Orlando City poised to smash MLS transfer record to sign Premier League star

Orlando City have held talks with Tottenham forward Richarlison over an ambitious transfer, market expert Fabrizio Romano has confirmed.

The Italian reports that the Lions have held exploratory discussions with Richarlison’s camp to gauge his interest in a future move to Florida. Orlando City have outlined their long-term plans to the Brazil international, who enjoyed a solid start to the season with Spurs.

Richarlison began the campaign as Tottenham’s starting striker, netting a brace against Burnley on opening day. Since then, however, he has only found the back of the net once.

The 28-year-old is under contract in North London until 2027, but his future at the club is far from secure. There was already talk of a potential departure in the summer, and Spurs could look to cash in on him next year to avoid losing him for free when his contract expires.

However, according to Romano, this does not mean that the forward will end up in MLS. He believes that a move to Orlando City is unrealistic at this stage and that the Lions are laying the groundwork for a potential move further down the line.

Romano on Richarlison

Romano’s confirmation comes after ESPN broke the news of Orlando’s interest in Richarlison. The report asserted that the MLS outfit tried to sign the striker in the summer, but the deal collapsed when Tottenham quoted a €40 million asking price.

The Italian’s information, however, differs somewhat. He does not speak of a summer approach, but instead states that franchise bosses travelled to London only “in the recent days” to present their “long-term vision” to the player.

It was not a formal contract offer, Romano insists. Orlando simply wanted to show the player that they are serious about signing him, be it next year or later, and to outline the direction in which the club is heading.

Romano describes this deal as “unlikely” as things stand because Orlando “can’t pay a very important transfer fee to Tottenham.” However, he has urged supporters of the Lions to keep an eye on this story as it could develop in the future.

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