Marco Silva has told Richarlison and Yerry Mina to improve their English, with the Everton manager unimpressed with their efforts to learn the language.

Silva wants all his players to communicate in English on the pitch and demands all foreign signings take lessons as soon as they arrive at the club.

Those instructions were given to Richarlison when he joined Watford from Fluminense more than two years ago and to Mina after his move from Barcelona last summer but Silva remains concerned over the ability of the Brazil and Colombia internationals to communicate with teammates.

Everton signed Moise Kean to play centre-forward, says Marco Silva Read more

“Richarlison is not as good as I’d like but he’s trying every day. Mina also,” Silva said. “With Richarlison, Mina and Bernard, it’s a little bit better because they have had more time. But with Mina and Richarlison we would like more from them. Their levels are a little bit better but not like we would like. This is something we demand from them because this is one of the keys for them to adapt faster and to understand everything that’s happening around them every single day.”

Silva has no problem with the language skills of the summer signings Moise Kean and Jean-Philippe Gbamin. The former Juventus striker “can understand more English than Richarlison did when he first arrived in the Premier League”, Silva said, while “the English of JP is really good”. And he believes it will be to Everton’s overall benefit should Richarlison and Mina catch up.

The Fiver: sign up and get our daily football email.

“Not just on the pitch but at Finch Farm and during a normal day in his life, it would help. That’s what we demand from them and it’s up to them to keep working, because it is one of the keys for them to perform better and to have a better knowledge of what’s happening around them. For Richarlison and for Mina even more, because of the position he plays, it is really important.”

Richarlison was substituted in Everton’s win against Watford, having struggled against his former club, although Silva said a lack of pre-season training, because of Brazil’s Copa América campaign, not any language issues was to blame.

Silva, who takes his side to Aston Villa on Friday, said: “This was the third pre-season he has done with me. In the other two he had a full pre-season and started the season really strong. This pre-season was different. Last week was only Richarlison’s third week of working with us. Some people don’t realise that.”