Wednesday 8th October was a pretty momentous day for all affiliated with Orlando City. First, homegrown right-back Alex Freeman was named as Major League Soccer's second-most promising youngster - a testament to the club's investment in their academy in years gone by.
Then, in one of the more jaw-dropping newsflashes in club history, several outlets revealed that Orlando had attempted to sign Tottenham and Brazil forward Richarlison over the summer.
Deterred by the probable fee, likely totalling €40 million ($46.4 million) - club representatives had no choice but to scrap the deal. However, according to ESPN Brasil, Orlando are still expected to closely monitor the player's situation in hopes of securing a future move. The deal may still happen, even if Orlando are forced to wait until Richarlison's contract expires in the summer of 2027.
Simply put, Richarlison to Orlando would be the club's biggest move since acquiring former Ballon d'Or winner Kaká as their very-first Designated Player in 2014, in preparation for their debut Major League Soccer campaign in 2015.
However sensational any eventual move would be, though, Richarlison wouldn't be the answer to all of Orlando's long-standing problems.
Orlando's first-ever truly 'elite' striker?
Like many Major League Soccer clubs, Orlando have had a rather rocky relationship with the Designated Player rule since that debut season.
Kaká was genuinely the club's only hit until Nani arrived in 2019, with many of these misses - including Bryan Róchez, Carlos Rivas, and even former fan favourite Dom Dwyer - being strikers.
Ercan Kara, who arrived from Austria in early 2022, was alright I suppose, but Orlando have always struggled at identifying the right man to lead their line. In fact, their only success stories have come from the draft, with Cyle Larin, Daryl Dike, and now Duncan McGuire all translating their collegiate form into prolific, if perhaps surprising, displays at senior level.
Luis Muriel was meant to break that curse, but it just hasn't worked out. Yes, Orlando's trio of Designated Players have combined for a league-high 63 goal contributions in 2025, but Muriel has been outscored by both of his fellow high-earners, Martín Ojeda and Marco Pašalić.
The 34-year-old is only getting worse with age, and it's clear he isn't the man to lead Orlando's line long-term. His contract expires at the end of 2026, just as Richarlison becomes available for negotiations to leave Tottenham on a cut-price deal or even for free on a pre-contract.
If the Brazilian doesn't renew terms with his current club before then, he would be a ready-made replacement for Muriel. Any move would instantly see him become Orlando's first-ever elite striking option.
Goals are not Orlando's chief struggle
However underwhelming Muriel has been in his two seasons in Central Florida, his teammates have certainly not struggled to find the back on the net.
Mostly thanks to the contributions of Ojeda and Pašalić, 2025 has been Orlando's highest-scoring regular season in club history - with two games yet to play.
Instead, it is their leaky defence that has proven most costly. Frequent errors from the likes of Pedro Gallese, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, David Brekalo, and César Araújo saw Orlando knocked out early on in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, surrender a Leagues Cup final berth in the dying moments against Inter Miami, and effectively eliminated from Supporters' Shield contention by mid-summer.
If anything, Orlando need more balance. Instead of splurging on either an unprecedented transfer fee or mammoth wages on Richarlison, the club's front office should invest in just one elite defensive option to accompany the prolific Ojeda and Pašalić in attack.
Especially since Óscar Pareja's old guard of Gallese, Jansson, Araújo, and Kyle Smith - whose contracts all expire at the end of 2025 - could be on their way out.
Richarlison would go wasted in Pareja's system
Muriel - and to some extent McGuire and Ramiro Enrique - may well have underperformed these last two seasons, but if you ever analyse Orlando tactically, you begin to see why they struggle.
First of all, Pareja demands a very high work rate from his attackers, particularly his strikers. He instructs them to apply pressure from the very top of the field, when the opposition goalkeeper or defenders are in possession.
It's little surprise Pareja's strikers rarely complete a full ninety minutes, especially when the Colombian coach could utilise all three of these options before Enrique's departure in September.
Pareja's Orlando have also built their reputation on being a deadly, counter-attacking outfit. His strikers are told to drop deep and collect possession after a turnover, creating space in behind for his wingers to burst forward. Again, it's no surprise that these wingers, whether that be Ojeda, Pašalić, or historically Facundo Torres, tend to enjoy more shots and goals.
With his Premier League-level flair and quality, Richarlison would fit Pareja's Orlando like a glove. But there's a limit on how much productivity this team can squeeze from its strikers, so it's unlikely Richarlison would repay the outlay required to secure his services.