Richarlison could turn out to be a good signing for Everton

According to Sky Sports, Watford forward Richarlison is on Merseyside having a medical ahead of a move to Everton that could cost the Toffees up to £50million. The fee has been the most discussed factor in the deal it seems. However, the fee to sign the 21-year-old will be irrelevant if the Brazilian is successful with the Toffees.

Blew hot and cold for Watford

It is easy to forget sometimes that the winger is only 21 years of age. Last season was a typical case of a youngster blowing hot and cold really. He made a lightning start to his Hornets career, but then his form dipped reportedly influenced by the exit of then-Watford boss Marco Silva.

The pair will soon be reunited on Merseyside, a factor that could be vital for Richarlison’s chances of fulfilling his potential.

Another factor in his disappointing displays may have been fatigued. When he arrived at Watford in the summer, he had already played half a season for his Brazilian club Fluminense.

In fact, he played 62 games for the Hornets and his country’s under-20 side in 2017. For any player that is a gruelling schedule, but for a youngster in a new country, attempting to adapt its seems even harder.

No doubting his potential

When playing his football in Brazil, he was reportedly considered to be one of Brazil’s brightest young prospects along with Manchester City forward Gabriel Jesus. However, not many run of the mill Premier League fans will have known much about the forward before his arrival at Watford.

The 21-year-old has already shown flashes of his ability, though. The winger showed great pace, dribbling ability and at times work rate. Under the right boss, those attributes will inevitably develop with experience and the proper guidance.

Richarlison seemed to thrive under Silva. The Portuguese boss would not have decided to sign the Brazilian again if he did not have the belief that he can develop into an even better player.

The winger looked lost playing Watford in the second half of the season, unsurprisingly his output dipped. He is still young, so maybe he lost confidence and needed an arm around the shoulder. Something was not right in the second half of last season, as he did not become a bad player overnight.

It is fair to say he is not yet the complete article, I believe the word raw describes him perfectly, but there is no doubting his potential. Everton have paid such a big fee for his potential and the chance he could develop into a top player.

Everton need pace and attacking ideas

For much of last season, the Everton attack was laborious and one-paced. The Toffees lacked pace and imagine in their forward line. Even when winger Theo Walcott arrived in January, then-boss Sam Allardyce deployed such defensive tactics that opposition defences nullified the former Arsenal man’s threat.

However, the arrival of Silva, who believes in far more attack-minded, expansive football, could get the best out of Walcott and Richarlison for that matter. In many games last season, the Blues were just woeful.

Silva has been brought in to rectify the team’s problems and change the style of play, with the aim of eventually challenging for a top-four place in the future. Now even a top-six finish looks out of reach, with the Toffees odds of 7/2 to finish in the top six in the new season.

Everton boss Silva has stated he believes that the club needs to make five or six signings. It seems like Richarlison will be the first summer move. Maybe despite his seemingly massive fee, he will turn out to be a top signing for the Blues.

Will Richarlison be a good signing for Everton?