Everton are reportedly set to sign Udinese striker Beto in a deal worth around £30 million, including add-ons, after making a breakthrough in negotiations on Friday night.
According to Football Insider, Everton have finally made a breakthrough in their pursuit of 25-year-old Portuguese striker Beto as they look to close in on a £30 million deal.
Everton are enduring another rough start to the season. They have struggled to find the back of the net, both against Aston Villa and Fulham and have suffered two defeats as a result. Sean Dyche’s men rued their missed chances at Goodison Park on the opening day as they fell to a 1-0 defeat to Fulham.
While Everton were soundly beaten by Unai Emery’s Aston Villa last weekend, Dyche seems to be pressing ahead with his attempts to bring in a new centre-forward in an attempt to change their fortunes, as well as due to ongoing concerns over Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s fitness.
As such, the Toffees had reportedly agreed a fee with Southampton to sign Che Adams last Sunday. But that move has stalled in recent days. The problem is that they have very little budget to spend on new players after their financial situation worsened in mid-week when it was revealed by the Athletic that MSP Sports Capital’s talks to purchase a minority stake in the club had collapsed.
As a result, Everton can only afford to offer low down payments for new signings. A deal for the Scotland international looks unlikely, which has resulted in them opening talks over a move for long-time target Beto.
The 25-year-old has been on Everton’s radar since January. And it appears they are ready to pursue him more purposefully. The Toffees have been in talks with the Serie A outfit for some time now, proposing an initial loan deal with an obligation to buy for the Portuguese forward, an offer that the Friulani were reluctant to accept.
Now, according to Football Insider, Everton are close to reaching a full agreement over the transfer fee with Udinese after having an initial bid rejected earlier this week. Some add-ons will take the total closer to £30 million.
Italian outlets claim the talks are so advanced that Beto could be on Merseyside anytime to undergo his medical tests today. Beto has scored and laid on an assist in Udinese’s first two games of the season. And he notched ten goals from 33 Serie A games last term, as they finished 12th in Serie A.
Standing at 6ft 4in, the Portuguese striker boasts an imposing figure on the pitch and could work well as a target man, something that Dyche utilised effectively during his time with Burnley. His sharp movement and burst of pace mean he is as good a runner in behind the opponent’s backline. With that in mind, it will be interesting to see how he fares at Goodison Park if this move goes ahead as planned.
