Richarlison outlay represents a roll of the dice Everton needn’t take
The money in football nowadays is farcical to the point of near irrelevance, with owners willing to spend ludicrous fees on players that still have plenty to prove.
Finding a bargain may not be an impossibility in the modern market, but it’s something that so many seem to care very little for in the English game at least.
Everton’s move for Richarlison certainly stands out as a hugely expensive gamble, with a fee in the region of £40m-£50m touted for the Watford winger.
Strip away the price tag and it’s a deal that makes some sense, that’s for sure, given Marco Silva’s work with the youngster last season at Vicarage Road.
The Brazilian made an excellent start to life in England after all, and would offer competition on the left flank to Yannick Bolasie, who struggled to replicate his former sharpness last season following a serious knee injury.
It’s down that side of the pitch that Everton do need to improve, but making Richarlison a club record signing would still be a risk that isn’t necessarily needed.
In Ademola Lookman they have a youngster of their own capable of playing out wide repeatedly linked with a permanent move to RB Leipzig for less than half the fee that Everton may have to splash out for the Watford star.
The 20-year-old made a real impact in the Bundesliga following a loan move in January and while he prefers to play in a more central position, he’s a player that has the versatility to offer Silva real options next season.
Tallies of five goals and four assists in league action last season were identical to those of Richarlison, though they came from 730 minutes compared to 2827 from Richarlison. That’s a direct hand in a goal every 81 minutes from Lookman compared to every 314 from the Hornets flyer.
Richarlison’s time in England can in fact be split into two halves thus far. His total of nine goals and assists all came in his first 1367 minutes of Premier League action, failing to have a direct hand in a goal in his final 1460 minutes of the campaign. He had more shots without scoring in England’s top-flight than any other player following the turn of the year (27) and last found the net in mid-November.
A certain Marco Silva was his manager at the time, and while there’s encouragement to take from the fact that it was the Portuguese that undeniably got a tune out of the youngster, it’s also true that he failed to score and registered just one assist in his final 12 starts under the new Everton boss.
Richarlison’s game isn’t all about goals, offering a commendable amount of defensive work rate and endeavour, but for a player that ambitiously set his sights on a Premier League golden boot award in the coming years, the 21-year-old is far from the finished article. A £50m spend would suggest the Tofffees feel that he's not far off.
