Everton star Richarlison could be set for a Premier League exit in the summer, with Barcelona reportedly keeping a close eye on the Brazilian.
Spanish publication Marca claim that Barcelona are showing interest in Richarlison. The Brazilian forward is currently plying his trade for Premier League club Everton. But, reports suggest Richarlison is being eyed by Barcelona, who seek for a forward to complement and, in due time, replace Luis Suarez upfront.
The report adds that Barcelona chief Eric Abidal is keeping a close eye on Richarlison, with the Brazilian the latest to join the list of targets being prepared by the club for the summer transfer window.
Richarlison made waves before even kicking off his club career in Europe, with the player rejecting big clubs to sign for Watford. The decision saw him get regular playing time as the Brazilian burst onto the big stage with a brilliant start to his Premier League campaign.
Things settled down quite a bit afterwards. But, his early form was enough to convince Everton to splash the cash on him. The 2018-19 campaign has seen him play under Marco Silva and despite the fact that the Toffees have struggled to mount any real challenge for the top six, Richarlison has bagged 12 goals in the league along with 2 assists to his name.
Barcelona have reportedly decided to add Richarlison to their shortlist. Their aim is to sign a centre-forward to allow Luis Suarez to be rotated and rested according to need. While the 21-year-old is primarily a left winger, he has shown a penchant for goals when being played as an out-and-out centre forward.
Richarlison’s technical ability would also fit in well with the rest of the Barcelona squad and the footballing philosophy at the Nou Camp. But, there are certain hindrances in pursuit of the 21-year-old.
Firstly, Richarlison will not qualify as an EU player and thus will have to be allocated one of the Non-EU spots in the squad at Barcelona, something the Catalan giants are looking to avoid, with their current slots already filled to quite an extent. To add to it, convincing Everton to part with Richarlison will likely cost Barcelona on the wrong side of €50 million.
Finance management is one of the reasons Barcelona are reportedly not keen to pursue Marcus Rashford, who is also mentioned as players the club is interested in. Thus, it will be interesting to see if the interest amounts to anything concrete in the summer.
It is, however, unlikely that Barcelona will move for Richarlison, unless we see Philippe Coutinho and one more Non-EU player departing in the summer transfer window.
