Everton ready plan in case Richarlison asks to quit Goodison Park amid Paris Saint-Germain interest
Everton are planning for a future without Richarlison in case the Brazilian forward asks to leave Goodison Park, according to The Athletic journalist Patrick Boyland.
Richarlison, 24, is easily one of the most gifted players in Frank Lampard’s squad and he’s reportedly on the radar of Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain.
Writing on The Athletic website, Boyland reports that the Blues are on the lookout for a replacement should Richarlison move on but if he does leave, it’ll take a lot of money for a bid to be accepted.
“With his future a constant source of debate, Everton have long been looking at contingency plans in case he does ask to leave. That’s why there was substantial interest in Luis Diaz, a third winger, last summer. It was hoped he would be able to fill any potential void,” said Boyland.
“Top clubs, including Paris Saint-Germain, have tracked Richarlison but it would take a big bid to convince Everton to sell. They know he would be tough to replace.
“It’s worth stressing that he does enjoy being here, and particularly likes the interaction with supporters.
“But Everton need to show players such as Richarlison they can help them achieve their lofty ambitions.”
Clever planning
If there’s one thing that’s been missing at Goodison Park under Farhad Moshiri’s ownership is a clear plan – and faith in a plan – to improve and suceed.
We’ve had big-name managers in Rafa Benitez, Carlo Ancelotti and Ronald Koeman and we’ve had big-name players like Richarlison, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, James Rodriguez and Dele Alli.
However, what we’ve got is a relegation battle this season and we can totally understand why a player like Richarlison would want to move on at the first available opportunity.
Obviously, if we’re relegated – and that’s a big if – he won’t be the only one to clear out his locker and tell Moshiri and Bill Kenwright that he’s off. But even a bottom-half finish would be enough to scare off a talent like Richarlison, especially when PSG are reportedly lurking.
We’d be surprised if he’s here next season unless there’s a dramatic turnaround in the club’s fortunes under Frank Lampard. However, that doesn’t mean to say that Richarlison’s been brilliant this season because he’s been far from it.
Yes, the Brazilian’s campaign has been disrupted by injury but he’s been available for over a month now and we’re still yet to see the ex-Watford ace to get back to his best.
He’ll be lucky if PSG do make a sizeable bid for him in the summer at this rate.
In other Everton news, there’s a suggestion that this big-money Blues player was being set up to fail by Rafa Benitez before he left.
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