It was May 2019, and Marco Silva's Everton had just finished eighth in the Premier League. It was the club's third successive top-eight finish, and there was plenty to admire about a team pushing to disrupt the autocracy of the so-called 'Big Six'.
The Toffees have since gone through the floorboards. Sean Dyche's appointment in January 2023 had restored comparative balance but another bad start has left fans disgruntled and concerned about the prospects this year.
Defensively, frail. Up front, promising signs, actually. Dominic Calvert-Lewin is fit and firing and is supported by a varied cast of players.
However, the Toffees do need some fire and fury to succeed in the fight against relegation, and Richarlison's past feats on Merseyside speak of his suitability for the task.
Richarlison's Everton career
Richarlison signed for Everton in a deal worth roughly £40m in 2017, with the 21-year-old moving to Merseyside after a breakout campaign at Watford, hailed for his "explosive" arrival by Alan Pardew.
Across 152 appearances, the part winger part centre-forward scored 53 goals and added 13 assists, a respectable tally. But it was his bullish presence in the final third that led to a £60m transfer to Tottenham Hotspur five years later under Frank Lampard's watch, a bitter deal at first but one that has proved good business for the Blues in hindsight.
24/25
Tottenham
2
0
0
23/24
Tottenham
28
11
4
22/23
Tottenham
27
1
4
21/22
Everton
30
10
5
20/21
Everton
34
7
3
19/20
Everton
36
13
3
18/19
Everton
35
13
1
17/18
Watford
38
5
4
The Athletic's Charlie Eccleshare noted that Tottenham had "missed his physical presence" toward the back end of last season, and perhaps Everton have missed the Brazil international's strength over these past two campaigns.
That said, it's hard to argue that the £60m sale was not one of success, especially when considering his performances since leaving.
Richarlison's market value in 2024/25
Tottenham have not hit the jackpot with the signing of Richarlison, who scored one goal across 27 Premier League matches in his debut year and was branded a "joke" by talkSPORT pundit Tony Cascarino.
Last season, clear improvements. Richarlison – who journalist Alasdair Gold described as a "nuisance" – actually sprouted a ridiculous run of goalscoring form, notching nine goals across eight matches before fizzling out with no goals across seven matches afterwards. He scored during a defeat against Liverpool to close his campaign as he picked up an injury and missed the final stretch.
But is it enough to warrant that £60m figure? Perhaps not. Everton collected a pretty penny in cashing in on the forward and considering his market price today, there's evidence that the decision was indeed correct.
According to Football Transfers' player valuation model, the 27-year-old's market worth has collapsed over the past two years, now valued at just £28m, which marks a £32m decrease since he was sold.
While there's every chance that he would have continued to cut a formidable presence in Everton's frontline, at a time of financial concern, it's hard to argue against the Toffees – and then-boss Lampard – hitting the jackpot with this one, especially so if relegation is safely swerved once again this year.
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