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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Adam Jones

Richarlison rumours could force Frank Lampard and Kevin Thelwell into new Everton transfer trend

Everton's transfer window could be about to really click into gear after what has been a relatively quiet start.

Rumours are now starting to ramp up around Richarlison's potential departure from the club. If the Blues were to collect a suitable fee for the Brazilian, with Spurs seemingly in pole position as things currently stand, then it might potentially be the start of other movement at Goodison Park.

That's not expected to include Anthony Gordon at this stage. While the north London side might be interested in a possible double-swoop for Everton's two forwards, it's believed that the club will not be entertaining any offers for the 21-year-old - who is clearly one of Frank Lampard's favourites in the squad.

READ MORE: 'Slightly disrespectful' - Andros Townsend makes Richarlison claim amid Everton exit rumours

READ MORE: Everton stance on Anthony Gordon and Richarlison deal amid Tottenham Hotspur transfer link

As we all know though, especially with the financial situation the club is in, everyone has a price. Undoubtedly that's what Spurs will be trying to exploit in the deals they chase.

But in many respects, the real worries don't lie in how much money the Blues will make from any potential deals. They know the quality of their players, they know the current situation of the transfer market - even despite their own balance sheets, they know they will be able to command a high price for any of their top talents.

Really, the issue lies in what happens next. How will the club spend that money to replace anyone who leaves the club?

You can understand why there might be a certain amount of trepidation from supporters in thinking about that eventuality. Even the most positive of onlookers would admit that Everton have not exactly been efficient with their money over recent years.

When Romelu Lukaku left, it was Sandro Ramirez and Wayne Rooney who arrived to try and fill the void, with a young Dominic Calvert-Lewin also stepping up to the plate. Over the course of the season, it's fair to say none really grabbed the opportunity, before Oumar Niasse was brought in from the cold and Cenk Tosun arrived for big money in the following January transfer window.

Idrissa Gueye was another hugely influential player in the side, but the Blues are still looking for a true way to replace his influence in the squad. Although, granted, they could have foreseen the injury issues that Jean-Philippe Gbamin would have after his arrival on Merseyside.

That's not to say there haven't been success stories in the recent past, of course. Richarlison can be considered one of those himself, while Lucas Digne proved to be a fantastic replacement for a club hero in Leighton Baines as he was nearing the end of his playing career.

In Richarlison's case right now, there's a wide acceptance that this could be the end of his time at Goodison Park. Nobody expected him to stay on Merseyside throughout the rest of his career.

The stagnation, and let's be frank the regression, of the side in the years since the Brazilian moved from Watford have been in spite of his best efforts - not because of them. He's regularly been one of the most consistent performers, hardest workers and best quality players even when times have been most tough.

To replace those sort of qualities in a squad is going to be tough, and there will be some among the fanbase who will be a little anxious about the club having a fair amount of money to play with once again.

And that's where the Blues should really be showing that they have learned from their mistakes.

This is the first time Lampard and Kevin Thelwell will be working together in a transfer window. They will have planned for the potential of losing someone like Richarlison given the clear ambition that he has to be a trophy-winner as soon as possible, and they will undoubtedly have targets in mind if any potential deal is pushed through.

They haven't been here for the mistakes of the past. They weren't the ones who tried to replace the likes of Lukaku or Gueye, they're starting with effectively a clean slate.

This is where the club's hierarchy should, to the best of their abilities, allow them to do the jobs that they were brought in to do. Recruiting new talent is a major part of that, but has seen too much of a disjointed approach in the past - and we all know where that has led.

Those memories stick long in the minds of some supporters and that's why they might feel a little anxious even if Everton were to pick up big money for any player that would potentially be departing this summer.

But Lampard and Thelwell should be given the opportunities to prove their worth in that circumstance. Show that they're something different than what has come before.

If Everton spend their money in the right way in this transfer window, then things could look a lot more promising for the future.

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