Everton considering Andrea Belotti as option for 2022/23 season
Everton are considering making a move for Italian striker Andrea Belotti to help replace Richarlison after his move to Tottenham, according to the Daily Mail.
The Toffees confirmed the £60m exit of Brazilian forward Richarlison after four years at the club on Friday morning [July 1], leaving manager Frank Lampard searching for goals to add to his team after narrowly avoiding relegation during the 2021/22 season.
And now Italy national team ace Belotti has emerged as an option for the Blues, after he became a free agent when his contract with Serie A club Torino expired when the new month came in.
Belotti scored 113 goals in 251 appearances for his previous club, but managed just eight last season as his contract situation affected his form and he played less.
But with Lampard having limited funds to strengthen the entire squad, Belotti is being looked at as a potential option to add goals and experience to the side at a minimal cost.
Interesting
Belotti was prolific during his time in Italy, and he did well for the national team as they were crowned European champions at Euro 2020 last summer too despite being an understudy to Ciro Immobile.
At 28-years-old he is a great age and has a similar skillset to that of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, with both very good aerially and with either foot although the Englishman is far more mobile.
Belotti’s wage demands aren’t known currently and whether the club will turn their interest into a formal, concrete offer remains to be seen but it does show that the club may struggle in the transfer market this summer when it comes to competing for the signatures of players.
Everton are strapped for cash and even after receiving £60m for Richarlison, that must stretch to help rebuild the squad rather than simply find a replacement for him which makes Lampard’s job incredibly difficult to do.
If the club are keen to bring him into the squad he could prove to be a shrewd bit of business if he can take to the Premier League, but whether he’d be willing to join as back up behind Calvert-Lewin could be a hinderance.
Ultimately it’s a good option to have and so long as they explore all their options to ensure they get the best value for money, whether that be wages or transfer fee, then it’s not one that fans should turn their nose up at.