Richarlison heads for tangible reward and glory with … Tottenham

It was a great season for Everton. By spectacularly avoiding relegation, they achieved that rare thing in the Premier League era: a memorable campaign, one for the ages to go alongside the time they avoided relegation in 1998, and the time they avoided relegation in 1994, and the year they finished proudly above Rafael Beneath-Us who then won Big Cup a couple of weeks later. But the best players set their sights even higher than these lofty goals, which explains why Richarlison wants out, up and away. He’s leaving to pursue tangible reward and glory with

[Fiver pauses, adjusts pince-nez]

yep, it says Spurs, right enough. Whether Tottenham Hotspur is the ideal destination in the Brazilian’s quest for success and silverware is a moot point, given they’ve been waiting even longer than the Ev (and Forest, Derby and Ipswich) for the title. But they are playing in Big Cup next season, have just signed Yves Bissouma, are managed by Antonio Conte, are not managed by Frank Lampard, and haven’t posted losses of £372m in the last three years. So it’s all relative. An upgrade’s an upgrade’s an upgrade, ain’t that the truth.

Everton are desperate to get the deal done by close of play on Thursday, in the hope of including the £50m fee in this year’s column of their tattered old account book, as they seek to comply with the Premier League’s seemingly arbitrary profit and sustainability rules. Spurs had offered Harry Winks and Steven Bergwijn in part exchange, but Everton wanted the chance to waste the money themselves. And so Richarlison leaves Goodison on good terms, having scored 53 goals in 152 appearances, six of them at crucial points during the recent relegation battle. Not a bad return for the £50m they paid Watford. No