At a time when Everton’s striking issues are at the forefront of many fans’ minds, one of Everton’s more successful forwards in recent memory returns to Merseyside to play at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday.
In four seasons at Everton, Richarlison scored 43 Premier League goals under four different managers, playing a crucial role in Everton’s escape from relegation in 2021-22 before departing for Tottenham Hotspur later that summer.
Since moving south, the now 28-year-old Brazilian has had an up-and-down time. He struggled in his first season after leaving Goodison Park, scoring just once in 27 Premier League appearances and spending two spells out with calf and hamstring injuries.
In his second year, under Ange Postecoglou, Richarlison enjoyed a resurgence in form, scoring 11 goals and notching four assists in 28 league games. But he struggled again last year, only appearing 15 times in the League with several lengthy spells out through injury.
With change afoot at both Everton and Tottenham Hotspur over the summer, the Toffees were reportedly interested in a move to bring Richarlison back to Merseyside.
But with Thierno Barry joining Everton, and first-choice Tottenham striker Dominic Solanke’s fitness a matter of concern, the move never left the rumour mill.
With Solanke sustaining an ankle injury, Richarlison has played a larger role than initially expected for Tottenham so far this year. The striker has scored three times in eight Premier League appearances, and is scoring at a better rate than he did in his most prolific Everton season.
But with Solanke set to return in early November, Randal Kolo Muani signed on deadline day, and Everton’s two strikers only scoring once between them, rumours of a return for Richarlison will likely make the papers once again heading into January.
So would a move for Richarlison back to Everton make sense?
Richarlison’s best Everton performances came when he played in a front two, acting as a second striker for Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Adept at making trailing runs off the striker and running onto flicked headers, Richarlison caused chaos alongside Calvert-Lewin, but didn’t perform as well when forced to operate as a lone striker.
However, at Tottenham, Richarlison has performed well as a lone striker, with one key difference. When called upon at Tottenham, he’s leading the line in a team that controls possession. In the last five matches where Richarlison has scored, Spurs have held more than 60% possession.
At Everton, where possession percentages are often in the low 40s, the striker’s role is as a physical presence. The need to hold up possession and allow for the team to break out from the back is much more important.
The only area where Thierno Barry and Beto outperform Richarlison is in their hold-up play; he wins fewer aerial duels and tackles than the big men.
A return for Richarlison would likely mean reverting to a two-up-front formation to accommodate him.
But that would mean a selection issue for David Moyes, who would hypothetically need to drop either of Everton’s two best players this season, Iliman Ndiaye or Jack Grealish, or risk a weaker midfield by dropping one of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, James Garner, or Idrissa Gueye.
It would also mean fewer minutes for developing talent like Charly Alcaraz and Tyler Dibling.
There are certainly merits to trying a two up front, but Iliman Ndiaye is equally suited to the role as Richarlison would be, and is already on the books.
As nice as it sounds, the time when a homecoming for Richarlison would be a straightforward upgrade for David Moyes and his team is probably in the past.
Reader Comments (25)
Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer ()
Andrew Merrick
1 Posted
25/10/2025 at
13:38:13
The idea of having Richarlison back has stayed in the back ground since he left.
Practically and financially, challenging, what to do with Barry and Beto?
Swap for Barry then!
Mike Hayes
2 Posted
25/10/2025 at
13:49:08
Richarlison loved playing for us and scoring for us fans, that’s the upside. The downside is his injury record but, saying that, I bet an injured Richarlison could score more than the two flops we’ve got now.
I cannot fathom how we haven’t had a decent striker since the “couldn’t trap a bag of cement” Lukaku went… Everton that!
Christy Ring
3 Posted
25/10/2025 at
14:38:40
He doesn’t look happy at Spurs.
I would love to sign Richarlison and Toney in January, they would be a massive upgrade on Beto and Barry, and bring us up to the next level.
I can dream, can’t i!
Jim Wilson
4 Posted
25/10/2025 at
14:43:51
The way things have gone, to have a player like Richarlison, who wants to play for Everton, is an absolute no-brainer!
Ray Said
5 Posted
25/10/2025 at
14:53:45
My view is that it’s always tempting to bring back an old favourite but it rarely works out as planned or anticipated, so I would pass on this and, as Angus points out in his article, ‘liman Ndiaye is equally suited to the role (of second striker) as Richarlison would be, and is already on the books’.
The MLS play-offs end in December and I wonder if there would be a short-term benefit to looking at a loan for Son Heung-Min in the way we loaned Landon Donovan in 2010? He could be looking for a way to stay fit and focussed ahead of the 2026 World Cup and would be a massive improvement on Beto or Barry.
Daniel A Johnson
6 Posted
25/10/2025 at
15:02:23
Not once have I watched Richarlison and thought “I wish we had him back.”
There are other players out there but our scouts seem unable to spot attacking talent.
Kieran Kinsella
7 Posted
25/10/2025 at
15:13:04
Someone seems to dust off this talking point about once a month ever since he left. My view is no. I appreciate what he did for us while here, but he is older now, hasn’t improved, is injury-prone, and on a massive wage.
This will be controversial but if I were looking in that sort of direction, I’d go for Son. Apparently, his LA contract allows him to go on loan after the MLS season. With the World Cup on the horizon, rumors are he may fancy a Premier League loan.
Remember when Landon Donovan came in for a few months in similar fashion? Not a long-term solution obviously but would be nice while Ndiaye is off at the Afcon.
Alan J Thompson
8 Posted
25/10/2025 at
15:21:24
Taking Son on loan would be the equivalent of the Benitez appointment.
Mike Allison
9 Posted
25/10/2025 at
15:23:50
The thing is, Richarlison was always much better on the left alongside a genuine No 9.
It’s the genuine No 9 that we need… and as much as he wants to be, that’s not him.
Robert Williams
10 Posted
25/10/2025 at
15:32:43
Easy. It’s a No from me.
Age, wage and histrionics! (rolling about)
Kieran Kinsella
11 Posted
25/10/2025 at
15:39:19
Alan,
Not that bad surely? In a way, he did us a favour. He took out of the team a waste of space and gave a number of fans a chance to create a false myth that, despite evidence to the contrary, that beforehand Gomes was good.
Ian Bennett
12 Posted
25/10/2025 at
15:51:58
A lot of Spurs fans think the injuries have killed his levels. I’d take him on loan and take a look, tbh, but not permanent until you can see what he can do.
I do agree he was best from the left, and we are awash with that type of player.
Dave Abrahams
13 Posted
25/10/2025 at
15:58:57
Kieran (11),
Yes, I’d take that Son and leave Richarlison behind!
Sam Hoare
14 Posted
25/10/2025 at
16:03:48
Perhaps on a short-term loan paying 3/4 of his wages? If fit, he’d be our best striker and there would be a little magic to see him scoring in blue again at the new stadium.
Generally, though, I think we should be looking to develop Barry and give him more opportunities. We need to have a clearer idea of what his potential is in the Premier League before we go into next summer.
David Bromwell
15 Posted
25/10/2025 at
16:23:37
We have the makings of a good team, and the best squad of players we have had for years.
Obviously, centre-forward and right-back are two positions we need to strengthen but I don’t see Richarlison or Son as players who we should consider as both would demand high wages and could not be considered as players for the future.
I think a new right-back should be considered a priority, and there are aspects to Beto’s play which suggest he still might provide at least a temporary solution. Remembering his purple patch last season, his work rate and a very clear desire to improve his game I am hoping he may succeed.
Steve Brown
16 Posted
25/10/2025 at
16:25:32
Not sure we are helping Barry right now picking him as a starter.
He looks shocked by the physicality of the English game and his confidence seems to have drained away. The manager is right to protect him and bring into games as a sub.
That leaves Beto, who plays like hes trying to control a rugby ball. His misses are reaching comical status but were not laughing.
Toney or Richarlison on loan in January would make perfect sense, allowing David Moyes to develop Barry. I think they would both come as well.
Kieran Kinsella
17 Posted
25/10/2025 at
16:26:30
Dave lol
Derek Knox
18 Posted
25/10/2025 at
17:44:23
Good shout on Ivan Toney there, Christy @3.
I forgot about him but allegedly on £400k/week — Ouch!
I would love to have Richarlison back, cue The Jackson Five — I want You Back!
Hopefully the injuries may not re-occur if he’s happy!
James Marshall
19 Posted
25/10/2025 at
18:23:16
Why are so many Evertonians so obsessed with getting ex-players back again? Is it just Everton fans? Does this happen at other clubs?
I never really understand it because, 9 times out of 10, returning players are not very good (Gana has been decent lately).
Am I wrong in thinking this?
Kieran Kinsella
20 Posted
25/10/2025 at
18:35:16
James,
I suspect it is because we have a lot of rosey-eyed romantics. When people come in, everyone expects them to be stars. Most aren’t… but often times, once they leave, this misty-eyed “coulda shoulda woulda” takes over.
People spend endless hours wondering “What if the Scottish Rooney McFadden was given more game time?” “Maybe we should get the “Fox in the Box” Jeffers back,” “Big Dunc has unfinished business here,” “Rhino is the left-back / centre-back we need and his wife hates it in Birmingham.”
But mostly, if they return, they are worse than before. Beagrie for example, Jeffers obviously, Rooney, Dunc, etc etc.
Christy Ring
21 Posted
25/10/2025 at
19:18:40
Kieran #11,
I thought Gomes played his best football in a 3-man midfield, could never understand why they played him two in midfield, he hadn’t the pace and couldn’t tackle.
David McMullen
22 Posted
25/10/2025 at
19:39:08
I would love to have Richarlison back. I would have liked Toney too. Two decent strikers. But I realise the reason Richarlison is being circulated again is because Tottenham might go after Toney.
But I’d still take Richarlison because we know him and he knows us. We need someone who knows how to score.
Stuart Sharp
23 Posted
25/10/2025 at
19:49:25
I loved Richarlison. But I can’t get that excited about him coming back. To me, it’s a gamble.
I hated Toney. But I reckon he’d score more than Richarlison.
Joe McMahon
24 Posted
25/10/2025 at
19:50:22
I was hoping Nostalgia FC would go away with new owners, but I suppose the warning was Moyes coming back.
I just feel Richarlison’s injury record is a warning, along with him being older and not really a success at Spurs.
Andrew James
25 Posted
25/10/2025 at
23:29:09
The standard of players in our attack is mostly weaker than what he had around him before. Gylfi, DCL and Bernard were able to complement his unique skill set.
While I think Jack would get the best out of him, the nuisance factor he brings is already matched by Beto (although they are nuisances in different ways. Beto for being a total donkey and Richarlison for his street fighting style where he presses high and scores scrappy goals).
But we always get stung by Spurs so the asking prize is likely to be prohibitive.
How to get rid of these ads and support TW
© ToffeeWeb
