It’s been far from an easy ride at Everton over the past few years, as Sean Dyche continues to attempt to combat the on-pitch issues that have previously threatened the club with relegation.
Fans had to wait until matchweek four to see the Toffees net their first goals of the 2023/24 campaign, and matchweek six to see their side claim their first three points of the season, after a dreadful start to the campaign.
Last term, almost identical to the year prior, Everton were forced to have their fate decided on the final game of the Premier League season, as they flirted with demotion to the Championship due to poor form and lack of inspiration.
Change in personnel within the squad and from a managerial aspect has delayed any type of progression for the Merseyside outfit, however with three wins in their previous four games, there is hope that Dyche’s side can finally build some form.
With a squad replenished in the summer transfer window, there are vacancies there for new heroes to emerge at Goodison, with those that brought joy before, now just a memory.
One name that was a constant source of hope for the Toffees amid their relegation battle of the 2021/22 campaign was Richarlison, who departed the club that summer after cementing himself as a fan favourite on Merseyside.
While it was a painful goodbye to the Brazilian, hindsight has shown that the Blues got a strong deal in the sale of the forward, despite having to let go of his influence on the squad.
When did Everton sign Richarlison?
In the summer of 2018, Everton announced the signing of the highly-rated Richarlison from Watford, paying £40m for the striker who was 21 at the time of his move.
The Brazilian arrived at Vicarage Road the year before, and made a statement in his debut campaign in Europe by having a hand in ten Premier League goals, scoring five and assisting five to capture the eye of the Blues.
Marco Silva, the former Hornets boss who guided Richarlison at Vicarage Road, was the Everton manager responsible for bringing the forward to Goodison in 2018, where he praised him as an acquisition that was “very good technically” at the point of his arrival.
How much did Richarlison earn at Everton?
In making the move to Merseyside, Richarlison subsequently more than doubled his salary, improving his £1.3m-per-year wage at Watford to £4.6m at Everton, equating to a weekly wage of £90k, via Capology.
It was clear from the off how highly the Blues regarded the young marksman, as they handed him a wage that ranked him joint-fourth of the club’s highest-earners in the 2018/19 season.
The faith shown by the Toffees was quickly repaid by Richarlison, as he almost instantly made a name for himself, scoring two goals on his league debut in August 2018, where he was lauded as an “animal” by journalist Liam Canning.
How many goals did Richarlison score?
At the end of his first season, the Brazilian had found himself on the score sheet 14 times in all competitions, netting 13 in the Premier League to get fans excited about what was yet to come.
The following campaign, Richarlison replicated his scoring tally in the league with another 13 in the 2019/20 season, as well as scoring two goals in the Carabao Cup that year.
Along with Dominic Calvert-Lewin, the versatile forward was repaying the price the Blues had paid to bring him to the club at 21, ending his stay on Merseyside with 53 goals and 14 assists in 152 appearances in all competitions.
Excluding the 2020/21 campaign, the £40m man never failed to score under ten goals in the Premier League while at Everton, with his lowest tally being the seven he claimed that season.
In his final term, amid the struggles going on at Goodison, the Brazil international had a hand in 15 goals in the league, scoring ten and assisting five, maintaining form in the wilted side that caught the attention of other clubs in the top flight.
How much did Everton sell Richarlison for?
They say all good things must come to an end, and that was the narrative that played out for Richarlison at Everton, as he bid farewell to the club after four years in the summer of 2022.
Tottenham Hotspur were the side that opted to splash the cash to sign the then 25-year-old, paying £60m for his services after their opening offer of £40m was rejected by the Blues.
As relayed by Sky Sports at the time, Everton were hoping for more for their talisman, but made the decision to sanction the move in order to hand manager Frank Lampard additional funds to orchestrate change in the transfer window to take forward.
By selling the 48-cap Brazil international, the Toffees generated a profit of £20m from the £40m they paid for him in 2018, highlighting the grasped opportunity for them to optimise their finances in what was a difficult time for the club.
In hindsight, the deal was an integral and successful one, as the now 26-year-old has seen his market value crash, and his form follow, suggesting that he played his best football at Goodison.
How much is Richarlison worth now?
To say that Lampard cashed in on Richarlison at the perfect time is an understatement, as his current market value sits at just €36.3m (£31m), £29m less than the price that he was sold for just a year ago, as per Football Transfers.
Richarlison's Premier League scoring record
Season
Club
Apps
Goals
2017/18
Watford
38
5
2018/19
Everton
35
13
2019/20
Everton
36
13
2020/21
Everton
34
7
2021/22
Everton
30
10
2022/23
Spurs
27
1
2023/24 TBC
Spurs
8
1
Figures via Transfermarkt
The dip in the forward’s form is answered solely by his abysmal displays in the final third during his first season at Spurs, another indication that Everton offloading him at the ideal time.
In the 2022/23 campaign, the 6 foot hotshot scored once in 27 appearances, scoring his only goal of the entire Premier League season in April after a period of stagnancy relating to the element he was signed to thrive in.
There remains hope that the former Toffees sensation can rediscover his confidence in front of goal, with signs there that this season may be more encouraging as he matched last campaign’s league tally on match week five of this term.
Regardless of whether Richarlison can salvage the form he showcased at Goodison, Everton struck gold by selling the striker for £60m, especially when seeing how dramatically his value has dropped in the year following his departure.