Everton are looking to bring in attacking reinforcements during the January transfer window and Beto of Udinese is the latest name to be linked with a potential move to Goodison Park.
The Boot Room cites Calciomercato as reporting that Everton are plotting a move for the Portuguese striker and are in the race alongside Napoli, Fiorentina and Borussia Dortmund.
In his exclusive interview with Frank Lampard in Australia, the ECHO’s Everton correspondent Joe Thomas reported that Everton have a list of players drawn up to target during the January transfer window. Strengthening the Blues attacking options is the priority, with the club exploring the potential to sign more than one forward player.
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Beto, 24, only joined Udinese permanently this year after playing for them during 2021/22 on loan from Portimonense. He netted 11 goals in 28 games for them last season and has added six in 14 outings so far this term.
In terms of playing style, Comparisonator’s Similarity Comparison algorithm rates Nottingham Forest’s former Liverpool striker Taiwo Awoniyi as Beto’s closest match currently operating in the Premier League with a score of 86%. After that there is a big jump down with Chelsea’s Armando Broja – understood to be a Lampard target over the summer – and West Ham United’s Gianluca Scamacca both rated as 40% matches ahead of Newcastle United’s Callum Wilson on 37%.
Using Comparisonator’s Virtual Transfer tool to import Beto’s statistics from this season so far against strikers already plying their trade in the Premier League shows his proactive style as he is taking the game to his opponents, with his 10.6 offensive duels won per 90 minutes higher than any other player in the division, ahead of Fulham’s Aleksandr Mitrovic (9.99) and Arsenal’s Gabriel Jesus (9.33). He is also using his 6ft 4in frame to good effect as he would be third for aerial duels won (4.72) behind Bournemouth’s Kieffer Moore (6.02) and the aforementioned Mitrovic (5.53).
The Lisbon-born player also makes the top 10 in several attacking parameters, including dribbles (7th on 3.51 with Jesus first on 6.96); touches in the box (8th on 5.69 with Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez first on 7.67) and expected goals (10th on 0.55 with Manchester City’s Erling Haaland first on 0.99). When comparing Beto to Dominic Calvert-Lewin this season, successful dribbles (1.25 to 1.09) is the only offensive parameter that the Udinese man finds himself behind Everton’s number nine.
Beto is ahead of Calvert-Lewin for shots (2.54 to 1.5); shots on target (1.45 to 0.5); headed shots (0.54 to 0) and successful attacking actions (2.54 to 1.75). The Blues player’s distribution looks better with better passing parameters, including successful passes (10.22 to 8.83); successful key passes (0.25 to 0.12) and successful passes to the final third (4.49 to 3.75), but finds himself behind his Serie A-based counterpart for aerial duels won (4.72 to 3.99); defensive duels won (1.33 to 0.25) and offensive duels won (10.16 to 7.98).
It remains to be seen as to whether Beto is one of the players among Lampard and director of football Kevin Thelwell’s list of targets but unlike Neal Maupay, he does at least seem a more like-for-like possible alternative to Calvert-Lewin. Everton will of course be hoping that their main striker can stay fit more often for the second part of the season after going into the World Cup break nursing three separate injuries.
Comparisonator is a football data comparison tool from 271 professional leagues around the world which compares players and clubs by utilising over 100 different parameters. Click here for more details.
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