Chelsea and Arsenal are both looking at the possibility of landing Brazilian winger Richarlison, with the Watford man a summer target for the London duo.
According to The Sun, Chelsea and Arsenal are both set for a summer assault on Watford for one their gems. Brazilian winger Richarlison, who arrived in the Premier League in the summer only, could be set to switch clubs within the league, with Chelsea and Arsenal eyeing a move for the player.
Richarlison arrived in the Premier League as an enigmatic young prospect and blossomed from the get-go at Vicarage Road. The player’s red hot start coincided with a fairytale beginning of the 2017-18 campaign for Watford under new manager Marco Silva.
But, after 5 goals and 4 assists in his first 13 Premier League appearances, the Brazilian has slowed down a bit, with just one assist in the next 12 games – a run that has again mirrored Watford’s own struggles to keep their run going. But, despite Richarlison being slowly figured out by the oppositions now, there remain interest from Arsenal and Chelsea.
Chelsea were interested from the start, even before the player opted to join Watford. The Blues have always struck gold with Brazilian attackers, case in point being the recruitment of Oscar and Willian. And with Antonio Conte looking to beef up his creative outlets in attack, Richarlison is still seen as a perfect candidate for the same.
? Arsenal and Chelsea are reported to have an interest in signing Watford striker Richarlison.
Gossip ? https://t.co/RueniRSVBg pic.twitter.com/GmWte2kMZb
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) January 15, 2018
At Arsenal, the troubles run deep. Alexis Sanchez seems to be now on his way to Manchester, be it the red half or the blue, while Theo Walcott and Mesut Ozil too look more likely to depart than not, at least for now. Malcom has been touted to be Alexis Sanchez’s replacement.
But, there is a dearth of wide attacking options at Arsene Wenger’s disposal, even if Malcom does end up arriving. Richarlison would complement Malcom well, with the Brazilian duo a potentially explosive one for the next decade or so.
One of the main contention point though, besides Richarlison’s undeniable potential, is whether his red hot start was his real game or whether it was just the honeymoon period. Richarlison begs to thing it’s the former, pointing at the teams now focusing more on him, which has curtailed his impact somewhat.
“Teams are already marking me individually, they are putting two players there on my side. Unfortunately it’s difficult, but I’m doing what I can. I’m facing them, I’m making assists, I’m trying to score my goals. I’ll keep working to keep bringing the results.”
Watford are unlikely to part with the player, certainly not in the January transfer window. Chelsea and Arsenal are both set to renew their rivalry in the transfer market in the summer, this time for Richarlison, who may look to move to a bigger club if Watford continue to struggle from now till the end of the season.
