Duncan Ferguson has urged the Everton hierarchy to re-sign Richarlison, expressing his desire to see the Brazilian back at the club. The forward nearly returned to the Blues during the summer transfer window as David Moyes looked to strengthen his attacking options.
However, a deal could not be agreed, and Richarlison remained at Tottenham Hotspur, where he has since been left out by manager Roberto De Zerbi. The forward is unavailable after being omitted from the club's 25-man Premier League squad.
Ferguson's plea for Richarlison return
Speaking to GiveMeSport, Ferguson said: "100% sign him, sign him. I worked with him. I worked with Richarlison, and he's a winner. He's a fighter. He was loved at Everton."
He added: "He scored my first goal in management. Never forget it. Corner, bang header against Chelsea. Great player, great work ethic."
Ferguson also advised the Tottenham manager to reintegrate Richarlison, saying: "My advice to the Tottenham manager is to get him back in your team and put your arm around him, kiss and make up. That's all you need to do. Kiss and make up."
Support for Moyes amid squad shortages
In a separate interview with BBC Radio Merseyside, Ferguson echoed comments made by Jamie Carragher earlier this week. The Sky pundit claimed on The Overlap Fan Debate that Moyes has been dealt a bad hand at Everton after being left with only 18 senior players following a chaotic summer transfer window.
Ferguson said: "He's done well, the manager, with not a lot of resources. You need resources. You need finance. It doesn't matter how good a manager you are, it's down to the players on the pitch and I think David Moyes has done very well with what he's got left there."
He continued: "He's been left short and he's making do like a lot of us have got to do. The new owners will be coming in. The old owners have taken it as far as they think they can take it and they'll sell the club. I think they're looking for £800m [to buy Everton] and then someone else comes in and has to spend around £400m on the squad. He's doing well with what he's got there. He just needs a bit of support."
Carragher's warning on Everton's future
Carragher had previously said: "Moyes is in his last year, isn't he? I just think everything in that situation, I totally agree with what Seamus (Coleman) said, and that's what supporters were saying."
He added: "We just want a couple of years of not having sleepless nights going into March and April. And Moyes gives you that. And as supporters, you want more then, don't you? And I think some of the frustration at the end of last season was a little bit harsh, in terms of, oh, we could have gone to Europe in the last few games of the season. And this summer, he's been dealt a bad hand. He has been dealt a bad hand transfer-wise."
Carragher noted that Everton will likely finish where they are now, and supporters may be frustrated, potentially not wanting Moyes to stay or sign a new contract. He warned that a new manager could lead the club back into relegation battles, saying: "Because when I still sometimes look at Everton's squad, I'm not saying it's a relegation squad. My point being, somebody not managing that group of players well and getting things wrong and making mistakes, that could easily find itself [the team] fighting for its life."
