Everton have not been at the races yet again this season, and face the threat of relegation from the Premier League as the campaign approaches the business end.
Frank Lampard did solid work in igniting a purple patch at the end of the 2021/22 campaign to steer the Toffees away from danger, finishing four points above relegated Burnley after winning three of their final six league matches.
But after falling wayward once again this term, the former Chelsea icon was dismissed in January and replaced by Sean Dyche, who has now navigated the Merseyside outfit away from immediate danger and into 15th place, though just points separate Everton from the drop zone.
A glaring issue that has hampered the club's season has been the lack of goal threat; £15m summer signing Neal Maupay has clinched just one strike since arriving, the same for established talisman Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who has once again been plagued by injury problems.
With a divisional-low 22 goals scored this year, Everton are in danger of falling prey to relegation from the top flight, and it's hard to argue against the claim that the £60m sale of Brazilian forward Richarlison to Tottenham Hotspur has done anything but exacerbate the issues.
Should Everton have kept Richarlison?
Having signed for the Blues from Watford in 2018 for £50m, the 25-year-old scored 52 goals and supplied 14 assists from 153 appearances before completing his transfer to the Lilywhites last summer.
Once hailed as a player who can "fight for the Ballon d'Or" by former Toffees boss Carlo Ancelotti, Richarlison has struggled since his move to north London, scoring just twice in 27 displays and providing four assists; he is yet to score in the Premier League for Spurs.
Boasting an impressive international record of 20 goals from 42 Brazil caps, the £90k-per-week phenom was integral in ensuring Premier League status was preserved last term, scoring ten goals and serving five assists from 28 starts in the Premier League, including six strikes from his final nine divisional matches of the term.
Hailed as a "nuisance" by Spurs reporter Alasdair Gold, Richarlison would be the perfect solution to the club's current lack of potency in the final third, providing dynamism and tenacity to complement Dyche's gritty style.
As per FBref, the ace ranks among the top 11% of forwards across Europe's big five leagues for assists and progressive carries per 90, which would provide Everton with the transitional presence and creative flair to enhance the collective efforts of the squad.
If Everton are to fall prey to the drop, the deal could be even more of a detriment than the lucrative sale of Romelu Lukaku to Manchester United in 2017.
The Belgian was sold to the Red Devils for an initial £75m after scoring an impressive 87 goals from 166 appearances, and while the monetary value was immense, the Blues have not looked so polished and ferocious in attack ever since.
Not replacing him has been a great mistake, but back then, relegation wasn't on the line. The woes are now more severe, and the threat that Richarlison suffused across the Toffees frontline was indeed invaluable last term.
While the South American gem could yet grow into his skin at Tottenham, thus far the move seems to have been a blunder on all counts, and while Everton may secure survival this term in his absence, the club might have evaded the danger of the relegation dogfight altogether had he continued to star at Goodison Park.