Would a move back to Everton for Richarlison make sense?

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. 

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