So Everton are to ‘blame’ for the breakdown of Kylian Mbappe’s proposed blockbuster transfer to Real Madrid over the summer because they wouldn’t sell Richarlison to Paris Saint-Germain.
Well, that’s the gospel according to a report from El Espanol.
The article states that the Blues’ Brazilian ace was ‘on the table’ when PSG were considering options to replace Mbappe but their hopes of signing him were dashed by Goodison Park chiefs who are said to have decided to ‘not let him out.’
Other than getting out the world’s smallest violin to lament the woes of Real Madrid, who had already poached Carlo Ancelotti from Everton over the summer, and petrodollar-fuelled PSG, who despite splashing out on Lionel Messi, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Sergio Ramos, Gini Wijnaldum and Achraf Hakimi this summer, still tried to get Moise Kean on the cheap again in the shape of another loan deal rather than a permanent switch, how are we supposed to react to that?
For starters, it’s hardly like Los Blancos’ long-term strategy has been thwarted, with Mbappe running down his contract in the French capital and currently refusing to pen a new deal, there’s every chance they can come back in for him next summer and land him on a free transfer.
However, from an Everton point of view, it would have been ridiculous to have sanctioned a Richarlison exit at such a time anyway.
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The club had just come through some delicate negotiations with the player to allow him to go to the Olympics, hot on the heels of playing an entire Copa America tournament, ensuring that he’d gone three years without a prolonged rest.
Richarlison himself remarked, 'I was arguing all day with Everton', but after seeing his Olympic dream come true after new manager Rafa Benitez gave his blessing, the gamble paid off in the shape of a gold medal with the Blues ace finishing tournament top scorer in Japan.
With the player given a hero’s reception on his return to Finch Farm, the least Benitez could have expected was another season of service from the 24-year-old.
Immediately thrust back into the first team and scoring the first Everton goal of the Spaniard’s tenure with his equaliser on the opening day of the season, in what eventually proved to be a 3-1 win over Southampton, unfortunately Richarlison got a rest earlier in the campaign than expected when he picked up a knee injury following a wild challenge from Burnley’s James Tarkowski in September.
Although netting on his return against previous club Watford on October 23, the burden of spearheading the attack continues to rest on Richarlison’s shoulders due to Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s injury absence and Salomon Rondon’s tough start, which has seen the Venezuelan veteran so far labour for over eight hours without scoring.
Despite the reputed PSG interest, after bagging 13 Premier League goals in both of his first two seasons at Everton, last term saw Richarlison’s tally drop to seven.
While he often operates cutting inside off the wings for the Blues rather than from the more traditional centre-forward position he occupies more often for his country, Richarlison knows he needs to get back to posting those previous kind of numbers and that means at least double figures in the scoring charts.
So far, Richarlison has been a spectacular performer on his day for Everton but has been known to blow hot and cold.
A player who feeds off the passion from supporters though, perhaps last season’s disappointing figures could be attributed to the sterile environment of operating mostly behind closed doors and the return of supporters should hopefully provide him with that extra edge.
While nobody at Goodison likes to think of Everton as a selling club, the realities of the football food chain ensures everyone has a place in the pecking order, and Richarlison and Calvert-Lewin remain the Blues' most-valuable commodities.
Serious interest in the likes of both John Stones and then Romelu Lukaku was batted off for 12 months in both instances but ultimately they moved on for big profits to Manchester City and Manchester United respectively.
The long-term goal of course remains securing Champions League football for Everton but if Richarlison, or indeed any player, is offered the chance to better themselves then tough decisions have to be made.
But first, the players in question have to ensure they’re already operating at such levels while in a royal blue jersey.
