Richarlison fee agreed with Spurs as Everton exit edges closer

So, it looks as though Richarlison is now leaving Everton as reports this morning claim a fee has been agreed for the Brazilian with Tottenham.

None of this is a shock to Everton supporters as a move away from Merseyside for him has been on the cards for weeks and the only real questions seemed to be which London club he would end up at.

In addition, this deal comes on the day the Toffees’ financial year ends and will provide some desparately-needed cash to help balance the books.

According to these stories it’s a cash-only deal with the Blues’ receiving about £60 million, although there are apparently performance-based clauses for some of the payments.

Like many Evertonians I have mixed feelings about this news.

On the one hand of course it would have been great if the club could keep hold of it’s best playing assets and while Richarlison isn’t yet a top level forward, he has generally proved a solid performer and scored some important goals for the club. He has also shown tremendous commitment to the cause, especially last season.

All this means he will be missed particularly by some sections of the crowd for whom he is a genuine fan-favourite.

But, as everyone knows Everton are in serious financial straights and in urgent need of cash. That and a campaign that so very nearly ended in relegation, made it seem almost inevitable that the Brazil international would leave this summer.

The next question is how do the Toffees’ replace him?

This will be very difficult for the obvious reasons that the Blues’, even with Richarlison’s fee, still don’t have much wriggle room financially to finance major signings.

They also endured such a poor season last time round and this is making them much less attractive a destination for players.

In truth, Everton are shopping at a much lower level than they have been used to for a few years now. Gone are the days of extravagant spending during summer transfer windows.

That may bot be a bad thing though, considering how much money has been frittered away over the last six years.

All this may change if the rumoured Kenyon-led takeover or one by another of the alledged interested parties, does indeed happen and soon.

Let’s be honest though, even if the club are taken over by a seriously wealthy group or individual, they still have to stay inside the spending rules, at least this year anyway so there won’t be a big splash of cash this summer.

There are always some good quality players around who are available for a reasonable fee. The Toffees’ simply have to be smarter and find decent young talent to work around these restrictions.

One option to consider is Watford’s Emmanuel Dennis. Apparently several Premier League clubs are looking at the Nigerian, could Everton be one of them?

There are also persistent rumours about a move by the club for Steven Bergwijn who was being mentioned in possible player-plus-cash transfers from Spus earlier.

So, this is the new reality then. It seems the club have to be prepared to consider selling their best assests in the short-term to ensure financial stability and try and build a better overall squad for the longer-term. Will it work, we shall see.

Whoever does come in to replace Richarlison, and I am obviously assuming another forward will, Everton supporters have to hope he can replicate the Brazilian’s passion and workrate as well as his goals. That seems a a tall order though.