Everton are in discussions with Serie A outfit Udinese to sign their 25-year-old striker Beto this summer, according to Sky Sports.
The publication reported on its website on Thursday (24 August) that discussions have taken place, but a deal is not expected to be completed this week.
The forward, who scored 10 goals for his club last season, has one goal to his name from his two matches in the new season.
“Everton are in discussions with Udinese to sign striker Beto,” according to Sky Sports. “The 25-year-old Portuguese international has been linked with a move away from Serie A, where he has scored 21 times in 61 appearances.
“Discussions have taken place but a deal isn’t expected to be completed this week.”
Everton needed to strengthen their attack this summer, with only Wolves scoring fewer goals than the Merseyside outfit in last season’s Premier League.
Those issues have come to light again this time around, with the Toffees failing to score in their first two matches of the new campaign.
Plenty of chances were created in the 1-0 opening day loss to Fulham, but the same cannot be said of the 4-0 thrashing by Aston Villa the following week.
What’s worse, the Toffees lost star striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin to injury at Villa Park, leaving a huge gap in the final third.
Manager Sean Dyche has tried to solve the club’s attacking woes this summer by bringing in Youssef Chermiti from Sporting Lisbon and Arnaut Danjuma on loan from Villarreal.
But it seems clear that at least one other attacking face is needed if the Merseyside club want to have any chance of regular success in the final third.