Beto bags brace as Everton linked with striker swap
The Everton striker has had a tough time since his move last summer from Udinese in Italy's Serie A only managing three goals in the Premier League last season.
He has not impressed too many Blues supporters and seems to have struggled to get to grips with the English top flight.
After that difficult campaign, there might have been questions raised as to whether the 26-year-old would stay at Goodison Park long-term.
There have not been much in the way of rumours about his future however, and most of the focus in terms of transfer talk has been centered on his team-mate Dominic Calvert-Lewin with Newcastle United allegedly close to signing him at one point recently.
It is still uncertain whether the ex-England international will leave Merseyside this summer as he only has a year left on his contract, has refused to sign a new deal, and so could leave for nothing next year.
If Calvert-Lewin did move on, then the issue of who would replace him as Sean Dyche's first-choice centre-forward, would become a pressing one.
Apart from Beto, the only other strikers available in the squad are inexperienced youngster Yousef Chermiti and out-of-favour misfit Neal Maupay, who spent last season out on loan at Brentford and does not appear to have any future at the club.
So, clearly Everton boss Dyche does not have much in the way of options to choose from if Calvert-Lewin departs. Someone would have to step up unless the Toffees buy another player.
Well today both Beto and Maupay managed a brace of goals as the Blues trounced Scottish Premiership side Motherwell at Goodison in the behind-closed-doors friendly.
At the same time, rumours have been circulating this afternoon that Europa League winners Atalanta want Beto and are considering offering one of their own players in a swap deal.
That player would be El Bilal Toure who Everton were said to be keen on signing last year and according to some reports were quite close to doing so.
Toure ended up in Italy and that was that. Now though, it seems a potential second chance for the Mali international to make a move to Merseyside just might happen.
All that depends on whether there is anything to this rather tenuous story that has originated in the Italian media.
Everton have some injury problems including up front as Chermiti has suffered a foot injury and will miss the opening few weeks of the campaign.
And with that news it would appear that if the Toffees do let Calvert-Lewin and/or Beto leave they will have to bring in at least one more centre-forward, assuming Maupay does not feature in the manager's plans.
Having said all that Jake O'Brien scored his second goal in just two games since signing recently, so maybe the big Irishman could be pressed into emergency duty up front!