Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was rushing to sign a goalscorer in January after Marcus Rashford was injured and not expected to return in the season. The Norwegian brought in Bruno Fernandes and Odion Ighalo to Old Trafford but it turned out he was also targeting Everton striker Richarlison.
The signing of Fernandes and Ighalo proved the right maneuver for Solskjaer. The United boss saw his side picking up on wins and the victories went on until the games were suspended in March.
Meanwhile, Richarlison continued with the Toffees and he remained impressive on the pitch. Already, the Brazilian striker registered 12 goals in all competitions in the current campaign and it did not come as a surprise that he is being monitored by other clubs.
Richarlison agreed to a five-year extension with Everton in December 2019 but the wooing did not stop. Said to be on top of the list is La Liga giants Barcelona, and according to Metro, the Spaniards made a bid on the Brazilian at around the same time the Red Devils have expressed interest.
The report added Richarlison was already on the hiring list of Old Trafford even before Solskjaer took charge of the club. Jose Mourinho made inquiries on the 23-year-old forward in 2018 but the interest was not followed through as the manager was sacked by the end of the year.
Nonetheless, it would seem that Richarlison was also keen on making the jump had a deal materialized. He recalled that he was in awe seeing Old Trafford for the first time.
"I was impressed because it's a beautiful stadium. You arrive there and feel an atmosphere that's different," the Brazilian was reported as saying.
The transfer could have happened earlier this year but Richarlison claimed he wanted to stay with Everton as he was convinced that exiting in the middle of the season will be in bad taste and difficult.
"The club opted to keep me in the group and I didn't want to leave in the middle of the season ... It's bad to leave teammates like this," the Daily Star reported the player as saying.
In deciding to stay, Richarlison said he had to forego the chance of playing for the big clubs like United and Barcelona. He stressed that both sides sent offers to him in the last transfer window.
The Everton star claimed he is happy to where he is at right now but admitted the thought of playing for United or Barca still lingers in the mind.
