With Harry Kane having sported the number ten for so long at Tottenham Hotspur, the number nine has become almost something of a poisoned chalice over the last decade or so, by contrast.

Richarlison inherited the jersey in 2022, following Gareth Bale's loan spell in 2020/21, while prior to that, the number nine had passed through the likes of Vincent Janssen, Roberto Soldado and Roman Pavlyuchenko.

Not exactly the most inspiring crop of players, with Richarlison perhaps the most polarising of the lot, the Brazilian flitting between the sublime and the ridiculous.

As it stands, he's in exile under Roberto De Zerbi, having failed to secure a summer exit away from N17, with it looking for all the world like the number nine shirt will finally be vacant again in January.

Are Spurs making a mistake with Richarlison?

There's no getting away from the fact that De Zerbi's forward line just can't buy a goal right now, while starting striker, Dominic Solanke, has scored just three Premier League goals since the start of 2025/26.

Amid those woes, it's no surprise that the decision to omit Richarlison from the Premier League squad has come under scrutiny, the 28-year-old having ended last season as comfortably the club's leading scorer.

Leaving a player sat out in the cold, amid this era of 'bomb squads', feels a little unedifying, it must be said, with Richarlison having at least been in the goals across pre-season for De Zerbi's side.

On the other hand, it was the striker himself who was seemingly pushing to leave this summer after four years at the club, with Spurs having perhaps expected that he would be able to find some form of escape route before the various deadlines.

It's not as if De Zerbi and co are sidelining a genuine, Kane-esque star either, with Richarlison netting, checks notes, just 27 league goals for the club to date, a dismal return for a centre-forward.

Without his goals, the club might have sunk to relegation last season, yet that's not to say he is the answer in the long term. Indeed, it's no surprise that, as Football FanCast have reported, De Zerbi is keen to shift both him and Mathys Tel in the New Year.

When Richarlison does belatedly depart, the Lilywhites might well consider looking to the academy ranks for an internal solution.

The Spurs sensation who could replace Richarlison

Spurs might not have enjoyed the benefits of their academy production line of late, but there's no denying that a fine crop of forwards have emerged through the youth ranks in recent times.

Will Lankshear has started like a house on fire following his £20m move to Middlesbrough, while Republic of Ireland star, Troy Parrott, continues to soar, as seen in his stunning solo goal against Austria this week.

Among the current crop too, teen sensation, Oliver Boast, is making waves in the U18 set-up, while at the step above, it's worth giving a mention to 20-year-old forward, Ellis Lehane.

Like Richarlison, the young Englishman is a centre-forward by trade yet can also operate off the left, a versatile, dynamic forward who could well get a first-team chance soon enough.

Formerly the subject of interest from clubs in Italy, with Spurs previously rejecting a bid from Lecce in 2025, Lehane is certainly highly regarded, and it's easy to see why.

At U18 level in the past, he was notably something of a goal machine, scoring 25 goals in 54 games at that age group in all competitions.

More recently, he's started the new campaign in fine fettle after netting two goals and registering three assists in just four Premier League 2 outings for the U21s.

Spurs currently top the table at that level, and Lehane has been central to that early-season dominance, notably leading the way in the division in terms of 'big chances' created (five).

He also ranks in joint fourth with regard to that tally of five goal involvements, looking like something of a complete forward right now, a real asset both as a poacher and as a creator.

In the view of U23 expert, Antonio Mango, he is truly "underrated", and while he has just turned 20, there's plenty of time for him to force his way into the first-team picture.

Should the woes of Solanke continue, senior minutes could well be handed out soon enough, with Spurs needing to look to their academy again far more regularly.

Perhaps, with Richarlison likely to leave that number nine shirt vacant in the near future, Lehane could be the man to take it.