Watford rewarded for the risk of signing Richarlison

In the age of social media and advancing technology football’s transfer window still relies on traditional forms of communication. After all, it was a broken fax machine that stopped David de Gea joining Real Madrid, while Antonio Conte was slightly more modern in choosing to text Diego Costa about the end of his Chelsea career.

“Hi Diego,” the infamous text message read. “I hope you are well. Thanks for the season we spent together. Good luck for the next year but you are not in my plan (sic).”

For Richarlison, there was no hologram of Marco Silva to consult with, or even a Skype video chat, but instead an old fashioned phone call.

“I was at home, if I’m not mistaken on a Sunday night, I think,” he told the Watford Observer. “[Marco Silva] called me and told me he wanted me here at Watford, that he knew of my potential, that I could play three positions in the attack. When he [Silva] called me I got super happy. That day, if I’m not mistaken, I already had the Ajax proposal, everything was already agreed. Marco Silva called me then, so I changed my mind.”

Ajax’s Sporting Director Marc Overmars likely muttered strong words when he realised he had lost out on Richarlison, and his frustration will not have diminished after watching the Brazilian in the Premier League this season.

“He’s settled in really well,” said teammate Adrian Mariappa. “He’s still brushing up on his English, but he’s fitted into the group straightaway. I’m not teaching him English – but he’s working on it and he’s always smiling. He’s got character about him and his age doesn’t seem to matter.”

Richarlison may not understand the English language, but he has fit in seamlessly with the country’s footballing culture. The 20-year-old grew up watching the Premier League on his uncle’s TV, and is by no means intimidated when he takes to the field.

There is sometimes a belief that players from South America will struggle with the physical aspects of the Premier League, but in the case of Brazilians specifically it is often a misnomer. Middlesbrough favourite Juninho, standing at no taller than 5’5”, never shied away from bigger opponents, and was even booked on his Premier League debut for a hefty challenge on Leeds’ striker Tony Yeboah.

“At least they allowed Juninho to leave the field unscathed – or perhaps he is tougher than anyone thought,” Norman Fox wrote for the Independent after the game.

Richarlison has that same direct, aggressive, style that earned Juninho so many fans. It’s what drew him to the league, and what is also earning him admiring glances from Premier League rivals. Arsenal, as well as a host of Chinese Super League clubs have been credited with an interest in the Brazilian, who has five league goals to his name already this season.

“It’s not a surprise if these clubs come to see him,” said Silva recently. “It’s not really a surprise. He’s had a fantastic impact at our club and on the Premier League. It’s a normal situation that everyone’s starting to talk about him, but most important is that he keeps going, to improve.

“We analysed him for some weeks in June, when he was playing in Brazil. We took the decision to tell the board to do everything we could to sign the player.”

The success he has found is in stark contrast to his beginnings. Like many aspiring players in Brazil, Richarlison developed his talent in humble surroundings.

“Most of the time my friends and I played on the street, make goals with our sandals,” he said. “It was like a favela, a poor area.”

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Things changed at sixteen when businessman Renato Velasco discovered him. “Renato was the first one that gave me an opportunity,” he said. “In the first week he gave me a pair of football boots because before that I had been playing with odd ones. He told me, ‘I’m going to help you because you have quality’.”

From there it has been a steady rise, leading him to the Premier League. On the surface, his signing seemed a curious if not also risky deal, but Richarlison is proof that when due diligence is performed then you can often reap the rewards, just as Silva has done this season.