Everton weigh up bid for £40m ace who can usurp Ndiaye as their best player
da wazamba： We’re less than one month away from the end of the 2024/25 campaign, a year of shifting emotions for those of an Everton persuasion.
da betsul： The Toffees started off dismally, losing their opening four fixtures of the season under Sean Dyche’s wing and lacking any semblance of spirit or invention. When The Friedkin Group took over and ended the interminable pursuit of new ownership, they (re)appointed David Moyes in January.
Now, hope has been restored. Everton are 13th in the Premier League with just a few matches to go, relegation fears long in the past.
However, with as many as 15 senior players departing this summer, there’s plenty of work to be done, and who can argue that strengthening the frontline ahead of the move to Bramley Moore isn’t the priority?
Everton ready to sign new forward
The Toffees are rightly in the market for a new forward this summer, particularly given Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s struggles and the fact that his contract expires in a few months time.
So, who could head to the new stadium and join Moyes’ revolution?
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Well, according to GIVEMESPORT, Moyes has decided to earmark Tottenham Hotspur’s Richarlison, with the Brazilian identified as the ‘dream’ target.
Richarlison, of course, spent four seasons at Goodison Park before transferring to Spurs in a £60m deal back in 2022, but it hasn’t worked out and both parties appear ready to cut their losses.
The 28-year-old wouldn’t come cheap, however, priced at no less than £40m, given Tottenham face a sell-to-buy scenario this summer.
Amid those claims, it’s stated that Everton are seriously weighing up a summer offer.
Why Everton should re-sign Richarlison
Richarlison is a versatile forward with a fiery personality that he uses to his advantage more often than not. It’s all come down like a house of cards at Tottenham, but that’s not to say he’s been poor, rebounding from a tough first season to provide a comparative clinical edge.
If Moyes can get him firing, it would be sure to dynamise Everton’s frontline. Currently, Iliman Ndiaye carries quite a weight on his shoulders, recognised as a “relentless forward” by data analyst Ben Mattinson, who “could be at least a squad player in every Prem team.”
Having scored nine times across all competitions since signing for Everton from Marseille in a £15m deal, Ndiaye has been one of the brightest sparks, with his silky movements and sharpness in the danger area making him a dangerous presence against any opponent.
However, Richarlison at his best could be the new cream of the crop, having already proved himself a £60m player as a Blue in the past.
Although his debut campaign in the capital didn’t go to plan, Richarlison has returned to prolific form in the two terms spent under Ange Postecoglou. If Moyes can solve the forward’s injury problems, there’s no question that he could usurp Ndiaye and take the tag of Everton’s best player next season.
Richarlison: Premier League Career by Season
Season
Club
Apps (starts)
Goals
Assists
24/25
Tottenham
12 (3)
4
1
23/24
Tottenham
28 (18)
11
4
22/23
Tottenham
27 (12)
1
4
21/22
Everton
30 (28)
10
5
20/21
Everton
34 (33)
7
3
19/20
Everton
36 (36)
13
3
18/19
Everton
35 (32)
13
1
17/18
Watford
38 (32)
5
4
Stats via Transfermarkt
The stats are on his side. As per FBref, Richarlison ranks among the top 8% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals scored, the top 11% for assists, the top 19% for progressive carries, the top 14% for tackles and the top 2% for clearances per 90.
With a firmly embedded goalscoring quality, a raw athleticism and a tried-and-tested past on Merseyside, Richarlison could be a “constant nuisance for defenders” under Moyes’ wing, as he has been described before by Postecoglou.
Of course, there’s nothing to say that the two mavericks couldn’t work in conjunction at Everton next year, Ndiaye charging down the left flank while Richarlison looks to add to his 53 goals for the Merseyside outfit.
If the Tottenham man can reach his highest level, there’s no question he could be Moyes’ standout star.
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