OPINION
Everton winger Richarlison will surely be staying at the club this summer after the latest transfer report on his future.
According to The Sun, the Toffees have told clubs interested in signing the in-demand 22-year-old that they must fork out a whopping £100million to prise him away from Goodison Park.
While that is an astronomical figure after one season on Merseyside – considering he cost Everton £50million (Source: BBC) – it is surely only good news for Blues fans. The Brazilian international was included in his side’s squad for the Copa America next month, and it is just reward for the season he has had.
Following his move from Watford last summer, the winger has been a key man in Marco Silva’s team, making 38 appearances in all competitions and netting 14 goals.
It is in the Premier League where he has been most effective though, appearing in 35 of 38 games and scoring 13 times. That is the reason his stock has risen so much this season.
The Sun’s report suggests Everton are wary of other clubs interested in taking Richarlison away from Merseyside – and so they should be – but they have now surely allowed fans to rest easy in the knowledge that no one is going to pay £100million for the player.
The Daily Mirror previously suggested that Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid were keen on the 22-year-old, and the newspaper now adds that Inter Milan have also enquired but were put off by the figure slapped on the player by the Blues.
If the report is true, it is a fantastic move from Everton that shows their defiant stance and unwillingness to lose their best players, and it is a stance that needed to be taken.
Richarlison was a real asset to the Toffees last term and it would be a major step backwards had they left themselves open to bids from other clubs, and possibly lost the Brazilian.