Everton need ‘very useful’ Beto as club look to sign him after big-money bid this year – BBC pundit
Everton fans should look at Beto as the kind of centre-forward that the club needs after his performance for Udinese this weekend, says Don Hutchison.
The BBC and ESPN pundit had covered the Serie A clash against Juventus on Sunday evening for TNT Sports and took to Twitter on Monday (21 August) to highlight the long-term Toffees target’s ability, noting he can be “very useful” in front goal with the “right service”, and a “decent target man”.
Udinese were beaten 3-0 by the Old Lady but Beto has scored 21 Serie A goals in the past two seasons and has been linked to a move to Goodison since a big money bid was unsuccessful in January.
BBC Sport sported on 13 August that the Toffees were still interested in a move for the 25-year-old after landing Jack Harrison on loan from Leeds United, amid interest in adding Elland Road teammate Willy Gnonto.
At long last?
Everton have successfully landed one attacking target this summer after missing out in January with the loan signing of Arnaut Danjuma.
With Dominic Calvert-Lewin suffering another injury in his first game of the season against Aston Villa on Sunday it has highlighted once again how badly Sean Dyche needs to bring in another striker who can contribute straight away.
Youssef Chermiti, 19, has been signed from Sporting but hasn’t even featured off the bench yet, and the Toffees have gone goalless in their first two games, both defeats.
The club clearly know Beto’s qualities well enough to put a lot of cash on the table in January, and on paper he would appear to be needed more than Gnonto, although more help in any capacity going forward wouldn’t go amiss right now.
The loss at Villa Park has drained away any positives taken from the tight defeat to Fulham in the opener, and with injuries already mounting up a thin squad is being stretched further.
Udinese didn’t want to let Beto go midseason last term and quite possibly will feel the same this time around so now might be the only opportunity to get him.
Che Adams has been targeted, but clearly Hutchison is convinced of the Portuguese striker from Italy as the answer to the problems at Goodison Park.
In other Everton news, the prospect of a signing in the mould of Beto has been given a positive verdict by a Sky Sports journalist before the window shuts.