If Everton Can’t Hold On To Richarlison, How Will They Replace Him?

If the transfer rumours are to be believed, Everton could lose one of their best players this summer. Brazilian forward Richarlison has been one of the club’s key players since arriving from Watford in 2018, but his talent and rise within the game suggest he should be playing at a higher level for a team in one of UEFA’s continental club competitions.

Numerous clubs participating in those competitions have shown interest in the 25-year-old, including Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, and Real Madrid.

The former Fluminense man is popular with Everton fans, who have become attached to him over the last few seasons, but even they probably wouldn’t begrudge him a move.

Their worry would revolve around a lack of confidence in Everton suitably replacing such a player given the club’s haphazard operation in the transfer market in recent years.

Replacing Richarlison could be the first big test of a restructuring at the club which began at the start of 2022. His sale could even be required as part of it, to balance the books and comply with financial fair play after years of seemingly aimless spending.

By the time Everton replaced manager Rafa Benitez with Frank Lampard midway through the 2021/22 Premier League season, they were already in the process of conducting what they termed “a strategic review of the football structure.”

This came too early to play a part in Lampard’s hiring on January 31, 2022, with the appointment of a new Director of Football (a position that had been vacant since Marcel Brands’ departure on December 6, 2021), Kevin Thelwell, not coming until late February.

Ideally, the Director of Football would be appointed first and would play a big role in the hiring of a manager or head coach, but things are rarely ideal in this regard at Everton.

Following Thelwell’s appointment, this summer’s off-season will be when the results and implementation of the slightly mysterious strategic review should begin to take effect, and changes have already been made behind the scenes.

Gareth Prosser was named academy director last Monday, having previously worked with Thelwell at Wolves, while Leighton Baines and Paul Tait were also promoted from within the club to manage the under 18s and the under 21s respectively.

Though these backroom coaching and management changes will be important, the higher profile work done by Thelwell and the club will be in the transfer market for players.

There are a number of big challenges facing Everton’s new recruitment team. One of them is how they replace Richarlison, should he leave as expected this summer. This will play a big part in determining whether the strategic review was successful.

It’s a big task, not only because the forward is one of Everton’s best players, but also because he’s a character who has endeared himself to the fans.

His personality played a big role in connecting the supporters to the team as they escaped what would have been a disastrous relegation from the Premier League towards the end of last season.

That connection was the main reason they managed to remain in the English top-flight after the threat of relegation became all too real.

Richarlison’s goal in a 1-0 win at home to Chelsea was key in changing the mood. It came on the back of the first of several fan gatherings outside Goodison Park which propelled the team towards racking up the points required to stay up.

Had they struggled in that game and not claimed the win and the three points, the task (and motivation to carry it out) would have been much more difficult. It was a key moment in Everton’s season and, given the dire consequences relegation would have had, the club’s history in general.

Replacing Richarlison will not be easy, so much so that the best option may be to attempt to convince the versatile forward to stay for an extra season, promising a move away in 2023 should he wish. But Everton probably can’t afford to turn down an offer should they receive a bid that matches their asking price of around $65 million.

A good recruitment operation should be able to replace such a player, though, even if it means making more than one signing, and with the money Richarlison brings in they might be tempted to strengthen several areas of the squad.

But Richarlison was a difference-maker in a team which have few such players, so the new-look Everton backroom setup will need to make sure they find a player who can make goal contributions when it matters.

The first task of Thelwell, Lampard, and the new football strategy could be to find the next Richarlison. It won’t be an easy one.