By Anthony Onifade

29th May, 2023 | 9:40pm

Everton make contact with agents of Corinthians striker Yuri Alberto as transfer news emerges

Everton have made contact with the agents of Corinthians striker Yuri Alberto and are evaluating the possibility of approaching the Brazilian with an offer, according to Goal Brasil.

The one-time Brazilian international has undergone a steady campaign for Corinthians this season, registering five goals and three assists from 25 appearances so far.

The 22-year-old signed a permanent deal with the Sao Paulo outfit before the start of the campaign which runs until 2027, with Corinthians holding 50% of his economic rights, while the rest remains with Alberto’s former club, Zenit, from Russia.

And according to Goal Brasil [29 May], Everton have made initial contacts with the striker’s agents but have not formally approached his club as of yet.

“Everton, from England, consulted on the situation of Yuri Alberto, a Corinthians striker, as GOAL learned. 

“The club is evaluating the possibility of sending an offer to hire the striker in the ball market.

“The British have not yet formalized a proposal, but have sought the athlete’s staff in order to gather information for an eventual agreement during the next transfer window of European football”, the report reveals.

Unproven

It’s no secret that Everton are in desperate need of attacking reinforcements this summer, given their dreadful goalscoring record in the Premier League throughout the 2022/23 campaign.

The Toffees held the second-worst record in the division with just 34 goals scored – a major reason why they were left flirting with relegation for much of the campaign.

Now their Premier League status for next season has been secured, Everton will certainly now be identifying potential striker targets with Neal Maupay’s future uncertain as well as key man Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Yuri Alberto has emerged as something of a hot prospect in his native Brazil, so far scoring five goals and registering three assists in 25 appearances as well as 11 goals in all competitions last season.

The Brazilian market is indeed an attractive market for Everton to pull players from, but given the pressure the club is under to secure a consistent goalscorer for next season, Alberto’s unproven nature may well present too much of a risk for Everton to consider.

If the Toffees end up losing both Calvert-Lewin and Maupay, but end up acquiring a highly-desirable striker target, then Alberto may be deemed a suitable and sensible signing to use as a backup for next season.