Why Everton have paid over the odds for Richarlison
After a rather mediocre season last time out under Ronald Koeman and Sam Allardyce which saw the Merseysiders finish 8th in the table, the Everton hierarchy has undergone multiple changes. New manager, Marco Silva has made his intentions very clear and has splashed the cash to set the clock ticking in the summer transfer window.
Everton weren’t very creative or flamboyant going forward in the previous season and Silva has not hesitated to seek reinforcements with the acquisition of players like Bernard and Andre Gomes.
However, the signing of 21-year-old Brazilian winger, Richarlison, from Watford for a fee of £40million can be seen as a gamble and it’s a questionable decision. The young sensation started off well in the Premier League last time around with 5 goals, but blew hot and cold for the remainder of the season where he failed to make an impact on a regular basis.
Richarlison has that prodigious talent under his belt to bamboozle defenders and score goals, but his endurance in the toughest league in the world is something that is yet to be proved.
Although he is primarily an attacker from the left-wing, Richarlison can slot into other positions in the attacking third as well. He is not afraid to take on defenders, be it on the flanks or through the middle. A swift and agile footballer, the Brazilian can not only cut inside and fire vicious pile drivers with his right foot but also possesses the ability to use his pace to track back and help out his defenders. He rarely seems to run out of gas.
As promising a prospect as he may be, the transfer fee of £40million is something that Everton may look back and regret at the end of the season if the youngster fails to live up to the expectations and his potential.
Richarlison still needs to improve on his passing ability to register key assists. To become an efficient operator down the middle as well, he needs to work on his composure and decision-making. To be fair, those are the attributes that come with age and at 21, he is likely to struggle with consistency given the long punishing schedule of the Premier League and the quality of the opposition that he has to face.
Silva’s £40million gamble seemed to have started to pay the dividends when Richarlison struck twice in Everton’s season opener to overcome the dominance of Wolverhampton Wanderers and secure a 2-2 draw. He has already begun to show glimpses of his brilliance, right from the beginning of the season.
It was a bold move from Silva to bring his former Watford signing to his current club but one can just get the feeling that Everton had to pay over the odds to pen Richarlison’s signature. Things have started to look bright for the Brazilian but whether or not he can continue to perform at the highest level throughout the campaign is something that time will tell us.