Ancelotti: Richarlison can be a 30-goal scorer for Everton

Carlo Ancelotti thinks Richarlison should target improving his best single season for goals by two.

No, not two goals. Doubling it.

Well, first we’ll have to see if the 23-year-old Brazilian can add to his current record season. Richarlison sits at 15 goals across 40 matches in all competitions, and Ancelotti thinks the kid can hit 30 next season.

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Noting without naming that Cristiano Ronaldo scored 60 goals for Ancelotti at Real Madrid, the Everton boss says in England a good target for a star striker is 30 goals.

It was part of an extensive and interesting conversation with our pals at Sky Sports:

“I think Richarlison is wrong to say that the target will be 20. The target doesn’t have to be 20 for him. It should as a minimum be 30. I’ve had strikers that were able to score 60 goals in a season - it doesn’t matter the name. But even in England, Didier Drogba scored 29 goals in one Premier League season alone. So the target for Richarlison will be 30 - not 20.”

Is that realistic? Well, if Dominic Calvert-Lewin and the Everton attack keeps growing to force defenders to focus on something other the power of the Brazilian, then sure. Extended cup runs will also help, though Everton’s failure to find European football hurts a bit.

The 19-times capped Brazilian has grown a bunch since Marco Silva brought him to Watford with little more than a wonderful highlight reel. Can Ancelotti take him next level? Some steady midfield play could help.

From a $18 million buy for Watford from nearly triple that price at Everton and now links with Barcelona and other giants of the game. Ancelotti’s showing the public love for Richarlison for many reasons.