Manchester United have reportedly leapt ahead to the front of the queue in pursuit of Richarlison, with the Watford sensation on the radar of a host of top clubs.
According to The Sun, Manchester United have surprisingly leapt ahead of Bayern Munich, Juventus and Lyon in pursuit of Richarlison. The Watford hotshot is likely to be a wanted man in the summer, with the Brazilian on the radar of a host of top clubs. But, it is Manchester United who are leading the chase for the Premier League rookie.
Richarlison announced his arrival in the Premier League with style, mesmerising onlookers with his ability on the ball. The Brazilian also had a silver lining in his maiden season, with a period of 8 games wherein he recorded a tally of 4 goals and as many assists.
His form though, has dipped, or rather, plateaued of late, perhaps, with Marco Silva’s sacking playing a huge role in his loss of form. The player had hinted his frustration at the decision on Twitter and while Watford seem to have found their footing in mid-table away from the relegation humdrum under Javi Gracia, Richarlison’s play has never regained form.
In fact, over the last 3 Premier League games, the Brazilian has played just 46 minutes of football, perhaps, hinting at a slide down the pecking order under the new manager. If the trend continues, the player might think seriously about leaving Vicarage Road just a season into his Watford career.
And there are no shortage of suitors. While Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Everton have all been linked to Richarlison, the likes of Bayern Munich, Juventus and Lyon have joined the chase as well.
Bayern Munich are running thin as far as the wide options are concerned. Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben are still world-class, but at the respective ages of 35 and 34, the old guard needs fresher options to come in and ultimately take the baton from their hands.
Richarlison, with his burst of pace and flair can be just the kind of talismanic player to take over from either of them, with Kingsley Coman earmarked to be the other winger. Bayern Munich were reported to have taken the lead, but it is Manchester United who have now leapt in front of the queue.
Richarlison only has 5 goals in the PL this season. But his xG is almost double that, and is the 17th best in the PL this season. pic.twitter.com/wj0Kzh6XvO
— Oscar (@Reunewal) April 17, 2018
At Manchester United, the problem in wide areas has worsened since the arrival of Alexis Sanchez – a player who was touted to be the solution. Sanchez’s inability to hit the ground running and his struggles to adapt to any position other than the left wing has seen Mourinho cast aside Rashford and Martial as rotation and backup options, much to the ire of Manchester United fans.
Rashford and Martial have been both linked with moves away from the club, with reports that at least one of them will end up leaving in search of playing time in the summer. Richarlison’s ability to play on the right though, makes him one of the potential solutions to the right wing problems, where Mourinho has had to field Juan Mata, who is arguably their best performer in the said position.
One contentious point would be the fact that Richarlison will join the likes of Martial and Sanchez, who can all play on the right but prefer the left wing. And if the Watford man fails to adapt to playing regularly on the right wing, we could see the problems worsen for Mourinho and Manchester United.
Despite United being in the lead, the move could culminate into a disaster, if Martial and Rashford both remain at the club beyond the summer. Richarlison is a brilliant prospect and at his age, he might be more open to change than Alexis Sanchez. But, the responsibility of being the solution at Old Trafford might just prove to be too much for his age, due to his inexperience.
