Richarlison: "I was happy at Everton but they had a lack of ambition"

cited Everton's "lack of ambition" as the reason for his departure from

Frank Lampard

's squad while explaining his decision to join Tottenham.

Last year,

ended in 16th place in the Premier League, their lowest finish in the league since 2003-04. They were only able to guarantee their continued participation in the competition by beating Crystal Palace 3-2 in their penultimate game.

The six goals Richarlison scored for Everton beginning in early April were crucial to the club's survival and led to a victory that day. After leading the league in goals scored for the Toffees with 10, he was sold to Tottenham in June for £50 million plus potential add-ons, for a total of £60 million.

Since Farhad Moshiri's 2016 purchase of a controlling stake in Everton did not produce the expected returns, the club's finances have been under examination, and a large sell was necessary to help balance the books. Richarlison admits it was tough to leave Goodison Park after four years, but he believes Everton lacked the ambition to contend for honors.

"It's always a tough call when you have such strong connections with your club, and that was definitely the case for me," Richarlison said to FourFourTwo. "I was happy at Everton and I’m grateful for everything I learned there. It’s a big club with a lot of history. However, perhaps they're suffering with a lack of ambition nowadays. You know, that eagerness to win matches and trophies.

"I spent four years there and I could see there was still a very long way to go to achieve big things. I felt it was the right time to move on, and the club also had to make some money. It was a good deal for everyone involved. I'm delighted with this new challenge at Spurs."

Rafael Benitez

, the former Liverpool manager who replaced

Carlo Ancelotti

after his surprising return to

, got Everton off to a strong start last season, but the club's performance declined dramatically later in the year due to a combination of injuries and a lack of form.

Lampard succeeded the unpopular Benitez in January, but it took him until May to find a way to the finish line. There have been encouraging signs for Everton this season, including a streak of four draws in a row despite the team's inability to win a league game thus far.

"It was a very stressful season, to be honest. We had a lot of injuries and the squad wasn’t big enough to cope. I personally had some issues, too. As soon as the previous Premier League campaign had finished, I played in Copa America, then the Olympic Games, and then the Premier League started again. I had no break and sustained a few injuries during the season."

After scoring two goals in his Champions League debut against Marseille, Richarlison quickly won over Spurs fans and manager Antonio Conte praised the 25-year-flexibility old's application. Richarlison has scored just twice for Tottenham, but he has assisted on goals in his last two Premier League games.

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