More has emerged about Everton‘s failed attempt to bring Richarlison back to Merseyside during the final days of the transfer window.
The Toffees explored a reunion with the Brazilian before Deadline Day, with Tottenham valuing the striker at around £35m. Richarlison stayed in north London, but subsequent reports have provided more detail about why the proposed return fell apart.
Richarlison return got as far as negotiations
Football Insider reports that Richarlison entered negotiations with Everton but that the terms on offer prevented an agreement. Their report claims the Brazilian could have returned for £35m, but that the wages offered by Everton fell short of what he wanted.
The Guardian has separately reported that Richarlison refused the opportunity to return to his former club. That makes a fresh claim circulating today — that Everton simply refused to meet Tottenham’s asking price — harder to pin down. The report cited as its source, Football Insider, instead puts the failure to reach an agreement down to Richarlison’s wage demands.
What does appear clear is that Everton’s interest went considerably further than a speculative Deadline Day enquiry. We reported last month on the possibility of Richarlison returning, and negotiations eventually took place before the window closed.
The 29-year-old remained at Tottenham and has since been omitted from their Premier League squad. Everton, meanwhile, failed to land Richarlison or Folarin Balogun before the deadline, leaving Thierno Barry as David Moyes’ only recognised senior centre-forward.