Everton: Dyche eyeing “Lukaku-esque” £30m machine

Dwight McNeil would unlock the Toffees’ touted target….

Everton could finally be making progress in their hunt for a new talisman, with Sean Dyche pulling all the stops to ensure his Premier League outfit beat a hasty retreat from relegation danger.

What’s the latest on Beto to Everton?

Following an exciting update from Fabrizio Romano, Everton could finally be closing on a new star striker, having approached Serie A side Udinese with a €25-26m (£21-22m) package.

The imposing Portuguese forward was on the Toffees’ radar in January but no action was taken; with Dominic Calvert-Lewin still battling incessant injury issues, intrigue has been revisited and intensified.

Beto has a €35m (£30m) release clause in his contract, and while Everton might be reluctant to pay such a tall fee, time is running out and he would work well inside Dyche’s system.

How good is Beto?

With Calvert-Lewin’s fitness unreliable – indeed, the 26-year-old has been sidelined once more after picking up a facial injury against Aston Villa (having missed 17 games last year) – and Neal Maupay simply substandard up front, having scored just once since arriving from Brighton & Hove Albion for £15m last summer, signing a new talisman is paramount.

Concerningly, though, the summer market is but a whisker away from draping its curtains to a close, with just one week left until deadline day.

Moreover, Dyche’s side has fallen flat in the early stage of the current campaign, losing to Fulham and Aston Villa and failing to score on both occasions.

Beto would bring ferocity and a focal attacking position to act as a conduit between ball and net, arguably typifying the type of centre-forward Dyche craves.

As per FBref, the 25-year-old ranks among the top 20% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for successful take-ons and the top 10% for clearances per 90, also demonstrating above-average aerial prowess by winning 2.71 aerial battles per game.

He also boasts consistency in his goalscoring, having entered double digits across each of the past four league campaigns, including 21 across the past two Serie A terms with the Little Zebras.

Beto has been hailed as “strong,” “prolific” and “Lukaku-esque” by talent scout Jacek Kulig to emphasise his physicality and brutish nature, with the high-profile Belgian striker having been described as a “monster” by Richard Keys for his own presence on the pitch.

Beto’s likeness is further illustrated by journalist Sam Tighe, who has remarked on the Lisbon-born titan’s ability to “spook defenders”, utilising his 6 foot 4 frame and strength to beat defenders and serve as an efficient target man – as evidenced through his successful take-ons.

With such a distinguishable striker in the centre, wide man Dwight McNeil could finally be able to utilise his ball-playing ability to its full capacity.

Signing from Burnley for £20m last summer, the 23-year-old scored seven goals and assisted a further three from 36 outings in the Premier League, earning praise for his “magnificent” end to the season by scout Ryan Williams.

The £25k-per-week gem was not able to exhibit the full scale of his creativity last term with Everton failing in their collective creativity, but he did create 1.4 key passes and put in 1.4 crosses per match, as per Sofascore.

Calvert-Lewin should thrive off McNeil’s delivery, ranking among the top 8% of forwards for aerial wins per 90, but he has been so out of sorts that he is not maximising his skill set.

Beto would bring consistency, and stand tall and firm as a pillar of offensive strength to provide the Toffees with the answer to their woes.

Perhaps the malaise will finally dissipate at Everton, and perhaps Everton will now shake off the issues that have besieged Goodison Park for several years.