We all know that dreaded statistic by now.
Even Carlo Ancelotti acknowledged it on 30 October. At the time, Everton had failed to win a single one of the seven Premier League games they have played without Richarlison since the £50 million forward arrived from Watford in 2018.
Fast forward to mid-November, however, and that tally stands at nine.
Everton had picked up 13 points from 15 with Richarlison in the starting XI in the first few weeks of 2020/21. But since their talismanic forward was sent off against Liverpool, the Toffees have lost three successive top-flight games – to Southampton, Newcastle and Manchester United.
Alex Iwobi, Andre Gomes and Bernard all struggled to replicate Richarlison’s impact from the left-hand side, even if the latter did score in Sunday’s 3-1 defeat to a Bruno Fernandes-inspired United.
So Richarlison’s return after the international break can’t come soon enough.
But with the supporting pack struggling to impress in the Brazilian’s absence, is it time Everton entered the transfer market to find a player capable of easing the burden on Ancelotti’s jet-heeled number seven?
In June, Calciomercato reported Everton were interested in offering Memphis Depay a return to the Premier League. And, with the Lyon captain due to become a free agent next summer, January feels like an opportune time to strike.
“I’m not going to make promises I’m not sure I can keep,” Depay told Telefoot yesterday when asked if he was going to stay at Lyon beyond January.
The prolific winger has produced eight goals and assists in ten games so far but OL are still fifth in Ligue 1, seven points off the pace already.
He said: “(Fighting for trophies) should be our goal. Even though I can’t say everything that crosses my mind… about what’s going on, what I’m seeing at the club, there are things I can’t honestly say.
“But it should be a motivation for all the players who come to Lyon. Because it’s a very big club, people have to realise that. And every player who comes to the club must realise this.
“You come here to bring back trophies. There should at least be this mentality.”
You don’t need a PHD in psychology to realise Depay isn’t loving life at Lyon right now – a club that continues to underwhelm domestically and missed out on European qualification for the first time in the 21st century last season.
With Ancelotti giving Everton the sort of pulling power they previously could only have dreamt of in the transfer market, luring elite, top-level talent such as £27 million-rated Depay to Goodison is no longer a pipe dream. See James Rodriguez, for example.
And what better way to solve that Richarlison problem than signing one of the most influential left-wingers on the continent?
As former Everton boss Ronald Koeman said, Depay in top form is a “joy to watch”.
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