Everton fans would hardly be surprised if Richarlison chose to leave the club this summer.
The Brazilian has been a fantastic addition tot he squad since his move from Watford in the summer of 2018. In that period he's been one of the squad's most consistent performers, has never dipped below double-figures in terms of goals in all competitions each season and has arguably been extremely underrated by everyone who doesn't watch the Blues on a consistent basis.
In simple terms, he's one of the best players in the squad. He promised to get the side away from their relegation troubles at the end of the season, and he did that with six goals in his last nine games.
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But the belief was always that he couldn't be someone who plays in a struggling side for too long. He's had the ambitions of winning trophies and playing European football for some time, and while there's no doubt improvement under the leadership of Frank Lampard and Kevin Thelwell in recent weeks - those qualities don't exactly seem imminent at Goodison Park.
Richarlison told Globo Esporte [via SportWitness ]: “I’ve already made it clear to the board, I’ve already talked to Lampard too, with my agents and they know what I want. Let’s wait for June.
"Now I can’t talk, because when we talk about leaving a club I’m kind of like this, because of the history I have at Everton, the affection that the fans have for me, when we talk about leaving I’m a little speechless."
What's clear is that the talk of potentially securing a transfer is hurting the player just as much as he knows it will hurt the supporters. During a time when many have struggled to connect with many players up until the final games of the season, Richarlison has remained someone that many have felt a real bond with.
And, let's be honest, he's only endeared himself even further in recent weeks with his ability to wind up fans from across the park on social media.
Those comments aren't exactly confirmation that he's going to leave of course, but many have read between the lines to come to the same conclusion. There was little expectation that Everton would be keeping the Brazil international for the rest of his career, and as long as the right price comes in for the forward he will be allowed to leave with the well-wishes of everyone connected with the club.
But it perhaps puts a stark perspective on the window that Lampard and Thelwell are about to have. If it wasn't important already, then they've been given another reason for just how crucial it will be.
The potential departure of such a vital player is a tricky situation to navigate. You of course don't want to lose a player of such quality, but you have to consider the right fee and the wishes of the player in all of your calculations.
Realistically though, the most important matter is setting yourself up for the future with the right replacement. Everton will be losing a lot of goals, assists and all-round influence if Richarlison were to leave - and they need to make sure that is properly accounted for.
We all know what the club's financial situation is like, and an influx of new cash might open up the Blues to flex their muscles a little more in terms of what else they can do in this transfer window. Maybe it can be used to secure new talent in a number of positions rather than just one.
That does place further importance on the strategy being laid out by the new hierarchy though. Everton can't waste any more money in terms of their transfers, they need to have a clear and coherent structure to follow.
Losing one of your best players when trying to decipher this new direction is, of course, never easy. But finding out this early in the transfer window should be something of a head-start in some respects.
Evertonians have been prepared for Richarlison to leave the club this summer, although they will still be dreadfully sad in most quarters if the move does happen.
On the other hand maybe he's instructed Lampard, Thelwell and his new agents of his desire to stay at Goodison Park. Maybe he's ready to help lead the squad rebuild and help take the Blues on to bigger and better things overt he course of the next few seasons.
That is, probably, wishful thinking. But at least the quotes don't rule it out, yet.
