Everton can discover Richarlison upgrade in Gabigol | OneFootball

Everton have strengthened their attack with the signings of Demarai Gray and Andros Townsend this summer.

That being said, you sense that the Toffees still have a lot of work to do in order to reach their targets this season.

On the chalkboard

Everton are still at risk of losing some of their star men this summer. Rafa Benitez is yet to splash the cash, but with some added investment from player sales, we could yet see a few more marquee arrivals.

One man who could depart Merseyside is Richarlison. The attacker has been linked with Real Madrid this summer and has even fielded a call from his former boss Carlo Ancelotti, who is back in Spain and is thought to be keen on bringing the Brazilian to the Bernabeu.

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Richarlison didn’t have his best campaign at Everton in 2020/21, however. He hasn’t assisted a single goal at club level this year and has scored only once for the Toffees since March.

That said, he has been in excellent form for his country at the Olympics in Tokyo, finding the net five times.

A solution

If Richarlison does leave Everton behind, then Benitez should look no further than his fellow countryman, Gabriel Barbosa. They are reportedly interested in signing the Brazilian this summer, and judging by his ability to find the back of the net, he’d be a significant upgrade on the 24-year-old at Goodison Park.

His previous spell in Europe wasn’t the greatest, scoring twice across 15 outings for Benfica and Inter Milan. However, he’s been nothing short of exceptional back in his homeland.

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Jindrich Stanek

Affectionately known as Gabigol, the 24-year-old has scored an incredible 70 goals for Flamengo in 98 appearances. That includes 15 strikes in 17 matches during the course of the 2021 season.

Based on that, it’s hardly a surprise to see him earn praise from various circles. Talking about the forward back in February, Zico commented: “I think Gabigol has everything to be the greatest striker in Flamengo’s history. It’s getting there. His performance got better and better, consolidating himself as one of the greats. He’s already gone down in history.”

Considering Richarlison’s struggles in front of goal during the back end of the 2020/21 campaign, Gabigol would clearly be a valuable signing for Benitez and co.

Previously described as the new Neymar, his career hasn’t quite lived up to the dizzy heights which were expected, but he is still a sensational player inside the box.

A bullish striker, he can hold the ball up and provide assists, supplying a career-best eight goals for his teammates in 2019. This would be a very solid addition to Everton’s frontline.

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