Everton in advanced talks to sign Beto as £30m twist emerges
Everton are in advanced talks to sign Udinese striker Beto, according to O Jogo.
The Portuguese newspaper reported via their print edition on Friday (25 August, page 24) that the 25-year-old’s transfer to Goodison Park could be “imminent”.
However, it is understood that Sean Dyche isn’t the only manager gunning for Beto and while Everton are offering £22.3million for the Portuguese centre-forward, Udinese would rather receive a fee nearer to his £30million release clause.
O Jogo adds that the offer currently on the table from Everton is being negotiated while advanced talks with Beto himself are underway.
How good is Beto?
Beto has made two appearances this season for Udinese, playing in a 3-0 Serie A defeat to Juventus and an Italy Cup win over Catanzaro.
In the 4-1 victory, Beto scored a goal and grabbed an assist but his performances against a lesser Serie B side are hardly going to convince Evertonians.
Dyche is desperate to bolster his strikeforce after failing to see his side score in their opening two Premier League matches while goals in pre-season were also few and far between.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s injury heightens the need for a new forward and Beto could provide somewhat of an answer.
Last season, he did score 10 times in 33 Serie A appearances. A goal record close to a goal every three games isn’t bad and while Beto’s only goal against one of Italy’s top teams came against AC Milan in March, his ability to hit the back of the net against lesser sides could be pivotal for Everton.
It’s likely to be another relegation battle this season for the Blues and every goal against fellow relegation rivals could be worth their weight in gold.
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JUST IN : Everton agreed payment of striker transfer for £9m
Everton transfer news emerges on Che Adams as Southampton want payment now
Everton have agreed a £15million fee with Southampton to sign Scotland striker Che Adams, but the South Coast club want a £5million down payment, according to inews.
The outlet reported on its website on 24 August that Everton are yet to agree to the demand as they hope to stretch their limited transfer budget further to improve the squad.
The structure of the deal is holding up the process, despite an agreement being reached over the total fee, so until a solution can be found between the two clubs, Everton’s striker woes will continue.
If Everton are haggling over their ability to provide a £5million payment now, it is surely a very worrying assessment of their financial situation. With Financial Fair Play, a Premier League financial investigation, and the ongoing ownership situation all hanging over the club, it seems as if the money simply is not there.
Adams should be a priority for the Toffees, so if they can’t find the money to pay the demand over a player they so desperately need, filling out the rest of what is a very weak squad doesn’t seem like it will be possible.
The club need depth out wide, especially now with the injury to Alex Iwobi who himself was acting as a makeshift winger, as well as in midfield and at full-back with injuries and players simply being not good enough throughout the squad.
The Scotland international would be the first step towards fixing their ongoing issues up front, having spent all summer searching for an option to provide the goals alongside Dominic Calvert-Lewin, whose injury issues are a concern all of their own.
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JUST IN : Everton didn’t sign £9m player now
Gutted he’s not here’: James Tarkowski admits he’s really disappointed Everton didn’t sign £8m player now
Everton centre-back James Tarkowski has admitted that he really misses his old central-defensive partner Conor Coady.
Speaking to The Times, Tarkowski said that he was great friends with Coady during his time at the club.
Tarkowski shared that Coady was very vocal in the side along with goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
Tarkowski said: “I’m gutted he’s not here, me and him were good mates.”
And when asked if Coady was really that loud he said: “Yes! I can talk a fair bit but I can’t beat Conor and Jordan [Pickford].”
Everton chose not to take the option to make Coady’s loan move a permanent one from Wolverhampton Wanderers in the summer.
The England defender instead joined Championship side Leicester City for a fee of around £8m.
And although Tarkowski would be disappointed that Coady didn’t sign for the club, he wasn’t actually paired with him towards the season’s end.
Both Yerry Mina and Michael Keane looked to be preferred by manager Sean Dyche in Everton’s crucial run in.
Keane is now partnering Tarkowski at the start of this Premier League season.
Tarkowski says he’s gutted that Coady isn’t still an Everton player
Although Coady may have not been the answer for Dyche’s Everton, the side are having defensive issues.
A 4-0 loss to Aston Villa on Sunday was a performance unlike any Sean Dyche team.
Whether the side will target any defensive reinforcements before the window closes remains to be seen.
And if the side’s defeat to Fulham was unlucky, their trip to Villa certainly wasn’t.
Recent analysis suggests that Dyche’s current centre-back partnership of Tarkowski and Keane isn’t working for the side.
Not to say that a Tarkowski and Coady pairing would be doing better at Everton, but Dyche may not want to settle on his duo just yet.
Everton’s win rate with Keane and Tarkowski hasn’t been too impressive over the last year.
Whether it’s signings or changes, there’s clearly still a lot to be done at Everton.
