What a summer and start to the season Richarlison has had.

The attacker left Watford for Everton during the transfer window for a reported £50m fee. It took him very little time to settle in to life at Goodison with the forward grabbing two goals, two man of the match awards and a red card in his opening three Premier League outings for The Toffees.

The twenty-one year old’s early season form was enough to see Brazilian international coach Tite hand Richarlison his first call up for The Selecao. He made his senior debut for Brazil in their game against the USA before he scored a brace against El Salvador in his second appearance earlier this week.

The youngster is very direct, he works hard for his team and he’s also terrific in the air (on average he’s won 4 aerial duels per league game). He predominantly play on the left wing but when on the ball he likes to cut inside and when the ball is on the opposite flank, Richarlison likes to get into the penalty area and wait for a chance to be created. Like so many Brazilians; the winger possesses good close control, likes to dribble, has a turn of pace and he also has the tricks to get away from opponents.

He was recently asked by Spanish media outlet AS if he’d contemplate playing for La Liga giants FC Barcelona or Real Madrid, the recently capped star replied:

“That way you leave me in a complicated situation … (laughs). They are two giants, the dream of any player. And in the end the next step will depend a lot on what you do here,”

Now some people have come out and expressed an opinion that Richarlison’s answer may upset or anger a few on Merseyside but I really don’t think Everton supporters should be disappointed or angry with his answer.

The player quite clearly noticed that the question was a bit naughty, the first part of his reply confirms that. But the second part to it is just a natural answer.

Most South American footballers dream about playing in Europe, as it’s where the money and exposure is. If you gave them an ideal destination then they’ll probably say Spain as it has a rich history when it comes to developing South American talent into world superstars and it also has the added bonus of having a better climate. So if they’re going to pick La Liga as a dream destination then it’s only right that you’d want to play for either one of the two powerhouses that seem to monopolise the league, constantly challenge in Europe and that have a worldwide fanbase.

These are reasons why Alfredo Di Stefano, Diego Maradona. Romario, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and so many more moved from South America to either the Camp Nou or the Bernabeu.

Clubs like Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea have lost top stars to these huge clubs in the recent past.

If I were a Toffees fan I’d be excited by the prospect of having the La Liga sides looking at one of our players because if they were to take an interest, then it’s only because he’s continually shining in an Everton jersey.

The chances are that you’ll also get at least two years out of him at Goodison and hopefully he will be performing at a top standard throughout his time in Merseyside.

We shouldn’t get angry at ambitious footballing talents, we should encourage that hunger to succeed at the highest level possible. If Richarlison gets to a standard that catches the eye of Madrid or Barca, then he’ll be winning games and points for Everton.

I don’t look at his answer as him saying Everton are just a stepping stone in his career. You can tell by how he plays and how quickly he’s adapted to life in England’s top flight that he’s a serious young man that has bags of potential. I don’t think he’s looking too far into the future, I think he’s enjoying the here and now.

I honestly think Marco Silva knows how to get the most from Richarlison and that the Brazilian forward will just keep getting better and better.

The Toffees support should appreciate the wonderful talent that they’ve got on the pitch and not worry about what may or may not happen down the line.

Never forget top players have come and gone at Goodison before and the club will always be bigger than those talents!

Posted on September 13th, 2018 by scott
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