Rumours today that we've bid £22M for Beto and that Southampton want £18M for Adams.

Personally I would value Adams at more than £12-14M (especially given one year left on his contract). And Beto would be an upgrade, 2 years younger, a few yards faster and 9 inches taller! Though not sure we'll get him for less than £28M which is a lot for someone who's not a prolific scorer.

Still, in the unlikely circumstances that we bagged Beto and then Sulemana on loan I think everyone would feel a lot happier!

Said it before and I'll say it again: We're after everyone who's got a pair of boots and won't sign anyone – just like previous windows?

We're now entering game 3 of the season and still no striker signed. It looks like our season might start on game 4 or 5. It's not like we need the points from the first few games, is it?

Sam,

I'm sure we would be happier if we grabbed those 2. However as next Friday looms closer, I suspect most of us are bracing ourselves for either no further incomings or perhaps a late ‘free transfer' or loan.

Even a decent loan is probably dependent on the sale of Demarai Gray or Jarrad Branthwaite (or both). It's proving hard to be optimistic these days.

We should have gone for this guy at the start of the window. We'd have 3points at this stage had we got him in, IMO.

Find it odd we couldn't afford Adams, or the minimal £5 million wanted upfront, but now supposedly we are after the more expensive Beto?

Reminds me of the good old days of phantom bids.

I have to agree, £18M is too much for Adams based on his average 6 or 7 goals a Premier League season. Even £12M is too much but it probably reflects his value to Southampton and their promotion push rather than the reality of his prowess in the top league. I'm relieved we are giving him a swerve, it would have been another mistake.

Maupay was prolific in the Championship but it often doesn't translate. Gray would challenge those figures from a wing position and we are offloading him.

Beto, more money and looks more of a one-in-three (12-goals-a-season) striker, so £30M they are asking is a lot too. Another gamble hoping he adjusts to the league but it's got to be a better bet than Adams if we can get Udinese to agree to £5M a year for five years.

Kieran, should we expect a late bid for Alan Shearer?

(Probably still my favourite phantom bid).

For fuck's sake, Everton, 3 points may be worth a couple of places or £5M or more this season, so pay the price and get the man in before the weekend.

We can't afford to fuck about here, go for both strikers now, just stump up the dosh as we need goals and more importantly some fucking hope!

Go for Gnonto too while we're at it... or we'll pay the ultimate price, it's time to speculate to accumulate Blues, for fuck's sake!!!

Get Morelos!

Have we really?

Funny how this rumour surfaces when it looks like the Adams deal is stalling.

We ain't getting a striker and Billy Liar ain't going anywhere.
How depressing.

The US and North Korea are also in talks in Panmunjom and have been since the 1950s. Talks mean fuck-all.

Actions speak louder than words. This is just another Kenwright transfer window smoke and mirrors trick.

Ahh get tae feck!

Billy #4,

As much as we'd like them to, like many other posters, I suspect we don't have any dosh to stump up.

That may change if, say, Gray and/or Branthwaite are sold. But even if such deals happen, Sod's Law will dictate they happen on the final day of the window – leaving us no time to conclude deals.

This will be followed by stories of Kev burning the midnight oil at Finch Farm in a heroic but ultimately unsuccessful attempt to get multiple deals across the line.

John,

LMAO – exactly. So we can't afford £5 million upfront for Ché Adams. We can't afford Gnonto.

What would Everton do? Of course, make an offer for a guy whose release clause is far more than either club wanted for the players we couldn't afford. Makes sense.

Best part is, you don't even have to talk to Beto or his club. You just have Prentice get on the phone with Alan Myers, Moshiri text Jim White, and Kenwright whisper it to cousin Bobble, and it will be all over the news.

It will take a day or so for news to reach Italy by which time it's the weekend. Meaning we likely won't get the "We haven't received any firm offers for Beto" come Monday. Tuesday, start round two of the whisper campaign as we "finalize our bid."

Let that ferment for 48 hours, then late Thursday tell The Echo "talks are ongoing," and leave it at that. The talks in question have nothing to do with Beto or any signing but the Red Echo will fill in the dots and wrongly conclude it is a transfer update.

Friday rolls around, send Dyche out to say "We are working hard on getting over the line." Which in his mind means doing bleep test sprints but Sky will interpret as transfer talk.

Around 5 PM, announce the Liver Bird fax machine is on the blink and the club are trying to reach an HP technician to fix it so they can fax back Udinese with a "structured deal" without disclosing the details as being structured so that Udinese pay us to take the player and continue to pay his wages.

Bobble will Tweet a picture of Riquelme at about 11 pm saying he is finally ready to join Everton. Then he will delete his Tweet just after midnight. Then radio silence until mid-October, at which point Moshiri will do a sitdown with Jim White and say:

"We are working with our management team of Leighton Baines and the new director of football, Yevgeny Prighozin, to bolster the team in January.

"They want a striker, we will get a striker. We are talking to NHS workers in the union to talk about some of their strikers possibly playing for Everton."

The Club is technically bankrupt.

We can't get transfers over the line, we can't even get the ball over the line either and that doesn't take two weeks of negotiating does it!

"So, Mr Beto, would you like to come to Everton?"

"No."

"Ah. Can we leak that to the press as 'ongoing negotiations', Mr Beto?"

Michael @13
I often wondered why Everton's fees to agents was so high, now you've just explained why,

Everton: "We have no real money but we have to placate the fan-base could you pretend that we've made an offer for player x and leak it to the media, we'll give you the going rate of twenty grand per daily story."

Neither Beto or Adams are worth the prices they are being touted at but it's a case of we are now desperate, absolutely desperate and in a weeks time we are in last chance saloon.

Beto at the age of 25, his numbers are so so and only in the last two years has he started scoring but he's a traditional centre forward so it would do us.

Frankly I'm not expecting any striker to come in now.

I'm geared up for the usual claptrap of "we gave it everything we could" from Bullshit Bill and Thelwell while Yachty Boy sits comfortable in Monaco.

Would you agree to payments on the drip from a business you thought might be no longer in business before the debt was paid in full?

...Makes you wonder about the possible payment terms we are trying to negotiate and the reluctance of selling clubs to agree, doesn't it?

Kim

It's a good point. Another club may get away with this drip stuff but our issues are so well known it makes sense for people to demand cash up front

So we cant afford a 5m down payment on Adams but we can afford 25m for Beto and/or Gnonto?

Something doesn't add up.

Jim 20 - expect the prices to be going up in the last week. We are desperate, and everyone knows it.

2 years we've been pissing about over this, and now once again we are going to pay way over the odds for a player we know isn't good enough.

Absolutely pathetic, like the attacks and defence.

Give me a break, Beto is like Gnonto, linked to him for weeks, and now more bullshit again, we'll sign no one before the window closes. A total shambles, thanks again Mr. CHAIRMAN.

Give me a break, Beto is like Gnonto, linked to him for weeks, and now more bullshit again, we'll sign no one before the window closes. A total shambles, thanks again Mr. CHAIRMAN.

Give me a break, Beto is like Gnonto, linked to him for weeks, and now more bullshit again, we'll sign no one before the window closes. A total shambles, thanks again Mr. CHAIRMAN.

Ian 11, that’s how it will probably be.

Knowing Everton we will probably end up with Beto O’Rourke. He is like 6ft 7”.

**Breaking News**

Everton in talks about possible meetings on opening initial discussions with a view to achieving formal negotiations about the possibility of submitting an initial bid to sign (fill in blanks).

Yawn. Been here before for several windows now. Another Kenwright ghost bid fed to his press chums methinks.

Nothing to see here folks.

We need to sign Beto and quickly. While still a gamble I believe he is a much better option than Adams as he is more of your standard target striker which Dyche prefers. Adams is diminutive just like Maupay and so I really see no improvement over what we already have and Adams has never been prolific in front of goal either. While Beto is a bigger price ticket and probably is money Everton don’t have right now, I just look down the road to what the cost to Everton will be if we get relegated?? There is no comparison and so get the deal done now and give us supporter’s at least something to hope and cheer for in the coming weeks.

Tell Southampton to go and fk off. 12, to 15 to 18 million, six million added on since DLC was injured. Not even a proven goal scorer and only five nine. We have just paid 15 to 20 million for a 19 yr old who is not fit enough to be included. Shouldn't we have brought in D,s back up in case he got injured again, guess what Thelwell, it happened?

Kieran, a15, superb.

Beware BK, won’t use those lines for one f his next West End Shows.

Gallows Humour at its best, but Saturday and beating Wolves, is vital.

Beat Wolves, and the toxicity levels, will level off for a few days.

Hope eternal.

UTFTs!

Viva Santo Domingo!

Perhaps, and I include myself in this, we should all lay off the Bill bashing, until such time as he returns to full health. Looks as if Paul the Esk is back in the fold, which is good news, perhaps he will be able to explain what's currently happening on the financial side of things.

Spirit of the Blues 💙 @SpiritofEverton
Bill Kenwright is incapacitated in hospital, and has limited day-to-day involvement with #Everton at the moment, via @theesk

Che Adams was starting to look doable so Everton move on to a less achievable target. We all see what’s happening here. There’s clearly no money left, and Kenwright is duping the fans to believe they are “trying their best”..

I think we all agree now that we cannot buy anyone. We are SKINT.

Why then are we not looking at loans / bosmans. We have 2 loan spaces left. 1 from abroad and one from England. Why are we wasting these precious hours before the window closes chasing shadows. We got in Danjuma and we have Harrison. Go get 2 more. Look also at the free agents available. If we are willing to take Young on a fee at 38 there must surely be some 30 plus players, age wise, waiting to be picked up.

Finally why have we not sold Holgate and Keane, plus Gbamin and Gomes. Sell for peanuts if we have to but get them off the wage bill. Loan them out, pay a percentage of their wages, whatever it takes. Paying these jokers every week is draining away any money we have left. They must be costing us around £300,000 a week - £1.2m a month. Ifwe loan them out and pay 50%, that is over a season a saving of £5.4m. There's the Adams money right there.

I can't believe that I'm saying this. But I almost wish we still had Rondon. At least he was a target man and we could play the DCL system. Looking back I think the moment when we decided to cash in on Naismith and bought Niasse was the a real turning point. It was the start of a series of terrible recruitment's.

Bk: Kevin, how much is that Brazilian betu fella from Udinese?

Kt: Hi Bil, firstly he’s Portuguese and it’s BetO, they are asking for 30 million euros, he’s been on my list for a while.

Bk: Great! Offer them 20 million!

Kt: I said 30 million boss they won’t accept anything less.

Bk: I know I know pal but we have to make it look like we’re trying!… you know the drill around here, we’ve been over this before.. Anyway wake me up when the window closes please Kevin, I’m back off to bed all this negotiating has really done me in.

Leaked conversation from finch farm last night.

Joe@37 a little poor form given Barey@33’s update. I’d take Beto, please just get it done. Why hasn’t Gray gone to Saudi yet? Surely someone must Holgate too.

Joe #37 spot on mate... if for some strange reason they accept our bid then we start discussing payment terms.. 2 million up front rest over 9 years... well at least we tried..

Sounds like he genuinely isn’t well Andrew, I need to learn to read the other comments on the thread before I comment I think 😂.

Didn’t mean any personal attack was just bringing a comedic side to our shambolic negotiating skills.

UTFT.

Barry # 19] I suspect there is a lot of truth in what you say. The club has to maintain an image of behaving like other clubs so engaging in dialogue with other clubs, agents, leaking to journo's etc is probably happening.

Other clubs may be doing the same. All fans want to see their teams buying players, thus an illusion of activity needs to be maintained as the 'optics' would very poor otherwise.

However, following the promise of 1 or 2 strikers in the January window - that yielded none - would it really surprise any if us if nothing happened over the next week?. and please don't get too excited if it's reported that we've made yet another 11th hour bid for Alan Shearer.

Barry (33), Does the Esk mention which hospital Chairman Bill is in, I’d like to pay him a visit to offer my condolences and try and cheer him up.

Chairman Bill is a very unlucky man he always gets these illnesses when Everton FC are down in the dumps,when we are doing okay (can’t remember the last time) he is the picture of good health and showing himself around the club.

Get well soon Mr. Chairman the club desperately needs you back on your feet.has Denise and Sharpie been in to raise your spirits, what an inspiration they have both been to you with their relentless work at your beckoning.

Take a pillow with you Dave 👍
I’m sure he’ll need fluffing up,… Ahem.

I never believe a word of Twitter, or whatever it's called nowadays, but one well-known Twitter account is saying Beto is now training alone.

Also another says Holgate is off to Southampton today for medical etc.

It's not Beto we are after It was a typo it's actualy Eto, Bill has pulled out all the stops to bring him in for the season.

Sorry but I can't see this fuck-up of a club get anyone in this window. It will slam shut on our fingers and we can crack on with what we've got.

If we do sign this Beto, I'd want to poke him with a stick to make sure that it's not an AI generated hologram borrowed from Blue Bill's theatrical chums like the ones from the ABBA concerts.

I mean the Onana one Bill got is too vertically stretched and the ball and opposition players just go straight through it. The Maupay one is the opposite – compacted and too small to be convincing.

This isn't happening, we are doing the same with him as we did with Gnonto. Low balling and hoping they say No.

Nick (43),

Aas that 'Ahem' at the end of your post or 'Amen'?

Bullshit Bill has been “terminal” for the last 15 years – if he's that bad, stand down and let someone with better experience at chairing a club instead of this narcissist clown. 🤡🤷😡

Mike and Dave,

His "illness" has been going on longer than Queen Victoria's period of mourning.

Kieran (50),

And like Queen Victoria, none of us are amused by Chairman Bill or his alleged illnesses.

Lol, Dave (48). Amen indeed. I’m still praying.

Kenwright is ill every time we’re in the shit. The man is insufferable. They’ve written nursery rhymes about less. If he had any decency about him he’d have stepped down years ago if he was really unwell, never mind competent. In-fact, the scheming arl arse said that he wouldn’t be Chairman past 70 because his doctor told him it would be bad for his health. And yet here we are. AGAIN. And all this after throwing the club the fans and then the board under the bus. The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was making people believe he didn’t exist. Keyser Kenwright.

If, by some strange way, we beat Wolves, you can bet all attempts to get anyone else in will be called off.

We don't need anyone, Sean Dyche can perform miracles with this bunch of also-rans.

Panic over… we have won one!

So good old bill has saved us a months salary on a forward we are desperate for but his price goes up by 5 mill?

Why are we trying to buy this geezer who appears to be bang average, after we already bought Chermiti? It doesn't make sense to me.

Also, why isn't Chermiti even getting on the bench? How unfit or 'unready' can he be that we use Maupay up top? It all stinks.

Is Chermiti actually George Weah's cousin?

Chermiti will hopefully have more of a chance than Kean ever had.

Why did we buy Chermiti? We need players who can play right now, not youngsters for the future.

It depends on your view, Denver.

I personally prefer a blend of youth and experience. Some cry for "play the kids". For me it's a blend.

We have to bring in young talented players with experience to train and play alongside experienced players.

They will grow and develop. Just be patient with them.

Anyway, Wolves tomorrow.

Danny,

But we have very little money and it seems we spent all we had on a guy who Dyche has described as being "very very unlikely to hit the ground running," and just yesterday as not being "internally fit".

What does that even mean? Does he have intestinal issues? Or is his soul in need of repair? Either way, he doesn't seem like the kind of priority signing a team that barely survived last season and offloaded a bunch of players this summer should have spent its last pennies on.

Kieran, maybe he's all blocked up and can't pass anything. Much like our midfield. I'll get my coat.

Odds on Lukaku rejoining are shortening.

Danny #62, Lukaku won't rejoin Everton, whatever the odds.

Kieran #59, we spent £2M to £3M on Chermiti (with the rest to follow on the drip / conditional). Like, say, Enciso at Brighton last season, he might take a few months to acclimatise but show real impact once he does. That makes a lot of sense to me.

Fee of €30M agreed for Beto according to EFC Daily.

Fee agreed with Udinese.

Word on the web that the Beto deal is done and it's a buy.

I Beto it doesn't happen for some strange reason.

Either that or he's shite.

Looks like we're finally getting a striker and quite a good one. It's a lot of money for a striker who has never scored that many goals but he certainly fits Dyche's style of play.

Could be the signing we've needed for 18 months or it could be a lot of money to pay for a player who will play second fiddle to a fit Calvert-Lewin.

If we were to get Beto over the line and maybe get Sulemana or some other winger over the line, then that would make a decent window, though I still think we may be short at centre-back.

Oh really!?! Thanks Paul and Sam, I’m lighting one up. See you in a few hours on the Live Fury.

This potential signing of Beto can't be true. After all, there are one or two posters above saying it won't happen, and I guess they must know more than anyone!!

Sam,

What do you mean "he doesn't score a lot of goals"?

This guy in terms of minutes played has been better than 2 every 5 games during his time in Italy. This is pretty decent considering he doesn't take penalties. We nearly had fucking Ché Adams!

If he can get at least 10-15 for us, our point tally will be considerably greater. Maybe not as exciting as Etitike would have been but still decent if it comes off.

So, skint as we are, we look like spending another £40M on two Portuguese lads nobody has ever heard of. It's that effing moron Moshiri and his mate Joorabchian again, isn't it?

I don't see that any late signing that Everton can afford or get on loan will make a difference.

May as well stick with Harrison, Danjuma and Chermiti when they finally get some playing time ahead of some of the ''under achievers'' and certainly the defence may need some changes too.

Thank God Holgate has gone and maybe they can ship Keane out too.

Beto reminds of me someone. Unfortunately its Ellis Simms.

Why Michael (75)? What similarities do you see between them?

So you have heard of him.

Twitter saying we've agreed a deal for €30M with Beto and Udinese. Where did the money come from?

It depends on what the up-front payment is, Colin. If it's significant, most likely it's what we would have spent on Gnonto and we'll now be looking at wingers available on loan like Sulemana.

Colin, God only knows, but until the Finch Farm video, with genuine gps, it’s in the tides, of the Mersey.

Brent

In fairness to Kevin, I'd never heard of Beto until we were linked in January. These days I only really keep up with Everton. 30 years ago I'd collect that Rothmans book of every squads players and send letters to HK II saying “buy Tony Philliskirk, Ivan Hasek or Dziekanowski (before Celtic got him) Sad thing is I can still remember all those players but can't remember who was on our subs bench last week.

That said, Beto's stats look decent for a mediocre team in a defense oriented league so I'm hopeful he will be good but, cause of Kenwright, I'll believe when I see it.

Sounds like the structure is going to be key to getting the deal over the line.

Slightly worrying as that’s what’s ballsed up a lot of deals for us as clubs aren’t interested in haggling over a couple of million upfront fees.

We couldn't even afford a striker from a bloody train driver's union...

Structure of the fee is all that's holding back the €30M Beto deal, ten bob up front, thirty bob year two, and the remainder after we sell him to Man Utd in summer 2025.

Udinese president on phone to Bill saying, “What thees ‘Bob', who is Bob ?”

I'd be pleased if we can wrangle a deal for him, fills me with more hope than Che Adams up front.

We need a striker more than a winger so it's sound business getting this lad instead of Gnonto. Unless we can keep the initial payments so low we can get both in? Unlikely, but that would be a real coup for Kevin Thelwell if he could pull that off.

More likely now is a loan deal for Sulemana, and I still wouldn't be surprised to see a central midfielder and centre-back come in on low up-front cost deals .

Going to be an interesting 6 days.

All this talk and still nothing, we just love being mugged off by Kenwright and Co.

When the window shuts, Dyche will say we really tried, just like the last windows.

Conor @69,

He's definitely an improvement on Adams and a decent player like I said. His goals per minutes record is good but around 34 goals over 3 seasons does not constitute ‘a lot of goals' in my book for a striker costing near £30M.

ObvIously part of that is that he's never started more than 25 or so games in a season, dunno if that's due to injury. But don't get me wrong I think he'll do okay for us.

We need a striker. We've been screaming at the club to buy a striker. The club is apparently trying to sign a striker.

25 years old. Ten goals in Serie A for a mid-table team is no mean feat. That league, notorious for its tactical defensive culture, is brutal for forwards. Not a bad return.

Wait and see. Firstly, if he actually signs for Everton. Secondly, judge him on how he does in an Everton shirt.

I've seen many players who I'd never heard of go onto become household favourites. Remember Amokachi and Elland Road when he forgot he was supposed to come off? A player from Millwall who apparently preferred Crystal Palace before Everton.

Wait and see. We once bought a Liverpool Reserve player who hardly anyone had heard of, who went on to be one of our greatest players.

On a more serious note, the Portugal link makes sense with Thelwell given his Wolves background. He obviously has links there.

Apparently, Chairman Bill has offered a £10M down payment in cash – only if Udinese will accept his £15 notes which he claims are in mint condition.

Hi everyone, I'm an AS Roma fan and I know Beto from Udinese.

It's just not good for the Premier League. €30M are too much for a player who has scored few goals in a simpler league like Serie A. Look at the difficulties that all the forwards from our ridiculous league have encountered.

Today I'm happy for Lukaku but can you help me understand what went wrong at Chelsea 2 years ago?

A thousand thanks, come on Everton, shit Liverpool.

Robert 63, odds have shortened again overnight. Lukaku rejoining could happen.

I am one of the few on here who seem to really like Chè Adams as a player and think he would be an excellent addition.

However, if there is a strong chance we can get Beto, then we have to make it happen. He is bigger, stronger, faster and with a much higher ceiling of potential. He is really well suited to the Premier League in terms of physical attributes and his signing would take so much pressure off Calvert-Lewin.

Right now, I'd take either player and I'd be happy, even if it is where the Gray money goes and we keep Dobbin as his replacement this season.

A striker is the priority. If we get one, what to do with Maupay? You'd like to think we can sell him but knowing us he is on such high wages we will be paying someone to loan him. It's truly unfathomable to me that we can't sell Holgate and Maupay, even taking £5-6M for each of them.

Gomes and Alli I understand, craaaaazy wages, but despite what people think of Mason, he has value in today's market, we just don't run a proper business and are incapable of extracting that value. To pay Mason the reported £70k a week is insane, I think we dished that contract out around the time he looked like Bobby Moore for about 5 games.

Paul @78.

I watched the YouTube video which normally makes a player look better than they are and I thought he looked below Premier League standard – as Simone from Italy confirmed @91.

His main attribute seems to be bulldozing strength running at players. He looks a flat-track bully to me. His running and poor control reminded me of Ellis Simms.

If we get him, I'll be okay with it because we have failed to get anyone else and at least he's strong. But I'm underwhelmed.

We support Everton so obviously we're only able to attract and buy average players who are underwhelming. This should not be news to anyone!

He looks about our level from his stats and his YouTube highlights, and anyone would be better than Maupay.

Steve,

I'd be happy to see a new face, and Adams is that bit more physical than Maupay so he'd be better suited to our style.

However, the best way to avoid having to shift mediocre players on top wages off the books this time next year is not to sign them in the first place.

Ideally, we go for a less obvious target with potential. Premier League experience of scoring a handful of goals in a season doesn't really count for much, and if we signed him, I'd still have Chermiti in ahead of him.

On the plus side he's a big physical specimen, with pace and I saw some stats to say he competes well for aerial duels (much better than Adams). He also seems to work hard running the channels and coming back into the midfield to pinch the ball. On that basis, he instantly makes us better and will suit Dyche's counter-attacking system.

On the downside, he's not the great goal-scorer people are hankering for.

- 22-23 for Udinese (10 in 33)
- 21-22 for Udinese (11 in 28)
- 20-21 for Portimonense (11 in 30)

Marko Arnautovic got very similar stats playing for Bologna last season age 34.

So anyone hoping for a 15-goal player will be disappointed. Serie A is really not what it was, so I expect those 10 or 11 goals are more like 8 goals in the Premier League. Much the same sort of return as, say, Adams and (in a footballing side that plays to his strengths) Maupay.

Whilst he runs well when he gets going, he is also clumsy – with comments from Italian fans to the effect that he plays like his feet are upside down (I'm not sure if that's an idiom). He's not going to get better either – so we won't be selling him for more than we paid (he may end up leaving for a low fee or free in 3 or 4 years).

All in all, I think he'd be a good signing, be appreciated by most fans – but also labelled the new Marcus Bent by some (and not in a good way). But he is overpriced – compared to the likes of Gyökeres and Boniface who have already gone for quite a bit less. A very similar player with a better goalscoring record, Mbala Nzola, has just joined Fiorentina for just £10M from Spezia (although he only had 1 year left on his contract).

Assuming this is true, the fee is probably inflated because we can only afford a small initial payment (with the rest to follow over the coming years). Counter-intuitively, this may make him more viable financially than players who are "cheaper".

Stats for Beto:

20-21 — 31 Goals 11 Assists 3
21-22 — 34 Goals 13 Assists 3
22-23 — 34 Goals 10 Assists 2
23-24 — 02 Goals 01 Assists 1

Injuries 22-23 — Missed 5 (Lumbago 4, Flu 1).
Injuries 21-22 — Missed 8 (Muscle injury 8).
Injuries 20-21 — Missed 0.

Completed 75 minutes or more:
20-21 18
21-22 22
22-23 16
23-24 02

At least he doesn't appear to be a sicknote which will make a pleasant change.

I'm reading "clumsy" and "lacks goals"...

Welcome home, son!

It's mad why we get little hunches about things we know fuck all about. This player is the one I've been getting those little hunches about since I first saw his name mentioned with Everton very early on in the transfer window.

Maybe it was because I saw Maupay getting linked with a move in the opposite direction which made it seem doable for dickey mint Everton, but I'm hoping we are going to be signing a real saviour.

"Seria A is not what it was" would normally burst my bubble, Robert, but Everton are fucking shite right now, and desperate beggars can no longer be choosers.

Anything is better than what we have at the moment. If the ball sticks to him up top, then it takes the pressure away from the rest of the team.

If Calvert-Lewin played for Udinese, would his goal-scoring record stack up?

I see Forest and Brentford are spending big again. Burnley even signing players, yet we are still restricted.

How are Forest managing to escape financial controls – or even Burnley and Brentford? They haven't sold anyone for mega money but are buying lots of players.

Sam,

I think the fee will probably be around £25 million including add ons as we wouldn't or couldn't meet the release clause. It would be unsurprising for me to discover that the figure barely exceeds the Adams fee demanded.

I agree with you that this guy isn't a prolific or natural goalscorer but, in today's market, it doesn't seem excessive for an experienced player with an all-round game, still only 25 and who has quite a decent goal return.

This is obviously a Sean Dyche signing rather than Thelwell's and, like Young and Harrison, is bought to keep us out of a relegation dogfight. Players with attributes like his and who are more prolific tend to cost a lot more.

You were obviously like me in hoping for a Jackson, Etikite or Balogun type signing but those more prolific potential type signings may be harder to get done. Or Dyche may have got his way and wanted a hardened pro to fit his style rather than a boom or bust project.

I have this nagging feeling that Calvert-Lewin will move on…

He's not a one-in-two striker; otherwise, he would be off elsewhere for double or triple the money. A one-in-three striker is pretty good business for us at £25M; it gets us the goals we need to get to the hallowed ground of mid-table. Also, some strength in depth is needed for a cup run.

Also, we need to view this signing in the context of a fit or sometimes fit Calvert-Lewin. It will keep both players fresh, it gives us quality rotation, it gives us fresh legs and quality from the bench.

No defender wants to see a 6ft-4in striker who can win headers and score one in three coming on to try an win a game or wrestle a draw. Or alternatively, Calvert-Lewin coming on fresh for the last 20 or 30 minutes if he's the one rested.

Good points, Tony – I've just been reading the deal is on and Beto has agreed terms. Also that Gerard Deulofeu has been in his ear (Gerry plays for Udinese) telling him what a great club Everton is.

I can't understand where he gets that opinion from, but thanks anyway!

Oh and apparently, Sulemana on loan is still a possibility.

This time next week, we will know our squad to compete the season up to January, I hope it's bleedin' stronger than it is now; otherwise, the gloom that surrounds us supporters now will really deepen.

We are like the Israelites waiting for Moses in Egypt.

I just had a thought – it's a bank holiday weekend, so would it be possible for us to fuck this up because everything is shut on Monday?

One thing has really irked me during this transfer window: the matter-of-fact manner with which so many on here seem to react to the possible exit of Demarai Gray — 'Bargain of the Century' not that all that long ago.

Get him in. In the country of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.

If he can put the ball in the onion bag – do it. No other forward could do it last season. If you're unfortunate and injured, you still count as can't do it for injury reasons. No-one is judging Calvert-Lewin's ability to play well and score, it's his ability to be fit.

Chances created are not a big problem. Another goal scorer in front of goal is a bigger priority than a winger or midfielder. If the team goes one-nil up, the team can go tight, compact and defensive against average teams like Luton and Sheffield Utd to help the defense. Plenty of things are possible if the team have 2 or 3 players in every game who put the ball in the net.

David,

I think the acceptance of it is more to do with the fact we'll be able to get a few quid for him, in the last year of his contract, rather than wanting rid. Personally, I'd play him today if fit.

Easier to sell a player when he's on a relatively small salary than the likes of Iwobi, Gomes, Doucouré etc who'll probably move for nothing at the end of the season as no club will come close to matching their salaries. A snapshot of the financial mismanagement that led to our downfall.

They are not sure if we need Beto or another 2 left wingers with the £2 million cash we have…

Just watched the showreel and he's not what you would call a natural footballer: his laboured first touch is akin to Onana and Doucoure but that's our market these days.

Hopefully he can channel another who struggled in open play but turned out to be dynamite in the box – Gary Lineker.

Conor @104, if it's £25M including add-ons, I'll be pleased; I've heard a few people saying it'll be nearer £30m+

But either way, I can see the logic behind it. A physical presence who can hopefully hit the ground running. 25 is a good age with enough experience to be ready soon whilst young enough to improve and have resale value.

Can only assume that spending what money we have on Beto means either Dyche has given up somewhat on Calvert-Lewin's fitness or is happy to play them together. The pair would certainly be a handful for any defence, you'd think.

Just hope he's better than Niasse! It's got all the signs of another panic buy…

I'd rather take someone on loan instead of getting lumbered with another expensive flop. Hope I'm wrong though.

Now we need a decent centre-back and a creative midfielder. And that's just to survive this season!

Nick @116,

Things are so bad, I would be delighted to have Niasse back. At least he was a physical presence, gave the team someone to aim for and scored a few goals.

Just shows how low we've sunk. I still think cashing in on Naismith and buying Niasse was the start of the current decline!!

Dave,

We are getting close to 40 years in the Kenwright desert though God's action plan was streamlined to 10 points, unlike Thelwell's 120-point plan, so it may take another hundred years.

Good news at long last, let's hope that this lad hits the ground running... we're going to need him too the way our luck is going!

I think the Niasse comparison is bang on. He looks as clumsy as hell (and has only been in the game for 5 years), and isn't even prolific in Serie A.

It ain't gonna be raining goals here either.

We have our striker in the bag, apparently. I can't bring myself to focus on today and I don't feel able to write about it so I am going to focus on this excellent news.

With Beto coming, maybe a winger. Harrison and McNeil to return with Calvert-Lewin and Coleman, we'll be okay.

Won't we?

Norberto Bercique Gomes Betuncal. The four players we're signing.

A 6-point deduction and we'd be fucked.

Jack, we'll look to spread the points deduction over 6 years…

Jack, we’re buggered anyway without that!

Kevin, he is a bit clumsy but he's no Niasse. He might not score loads of goals but he will make the opposition work much, much harder – and the team will benefit from his introduction.

It might also be worth noting that Chermiti (who is a much better player technically by the looks of things) may also benefit from having an older, more experienced Portuguese mentor to work with. I could see us getting Borges on loan or low fee from Porto too – since Thelwell presumably knows that Portuguese market well from his Wolves days.

Robert yes fair enough. I do wonder though whether we are spending our precious resources wisely.

Was it you who said on another thread that he's reached his ceiling and we are overpaying? That sort of stuff annoys me, it's like we never learn.

I know times are tight these days, both for the club and supporters alike, but I will dof my cap to the shirt I spotted at Goodison today.

It was an older top with Number 5 Eto'o on it, but the person wearing it had sellotaped a letter B in front of the Eto'o so it looked like Beto.

Not a wind-up, 10 out of 10 for initiative.

Didn't we sign Krøldrup from Udinese? :-(

I think he probably has reached his ceiling, Kevin (although who knows, the cut-and-thrust Premier League may even suit him better than Serie A).

On the fee, it's a weird one. I generally take the view that we shouldn't be spending more than £20M on any player (and good strikers have gone for less than that already).

However, like the Onana deal last year, it looks like we're overpaying over a long period to compensate for a small initial payment. Counter-intuitively, we might not be able to afford the sub-£20M deals even though we can afford Beto.

I don't think Beto is as bad or as average a striker as some people make him out to be. For Udinese, he has started 47 games and scored 22 goals. For Portimonense, he started 24 games and scored 13 goals.

Total starts 71 games 35 goals – around 6,500 minutes played in all, so around about a 1-in-2 striker over 90 minutes – whether he can replicate that form at Everton time will tell.

Daka at Leicester would've been worth a closer look as his stats over 90 minutes are more impressive than Beto's although Beto will probably fit more into Dyche's tactics than Daka.

If we pick 8 defensive players in the 10 outfield, we could have Mbappe and Haaland in the side and it wouldn't matter.

Dyche is completely out of his depth and hasn't got a clue. Get the sacking done early for once and get a decent coach in while the season has a chance of being saved.

Mike #133,

He kept us up last season when we were doomed and had no striker. Are you a bot?

‘Clueless'?! Have a day off, pal.

If you think sacking the manager again is the answer, you're a clown, and shouldn't be watching football, never mind Everton. In fact, if you think sacking the manager is a good idea, you're part of the problem, which says it all.

Everton Football Club needs wholesale changes, which begin at the top. Ridding the club of the totally out of his depth, 78-year-old cancerous wart that is Bill Kenwright is the only priority. Nothing else matters.

Someone with some business and football nous needs to take control. It's not too late, Moshiri – get the right people in and the stale as fuck, totally incompetent bunch of hangers-on out.

If Beto comes in, one thing is certain:it'll either be For Beto or For Worse.

I hope it's the former.

I note from the original article, the comment 'we are in the market for a centre-forward to provide cover for Dominic Calvert-Lewin'.

I assume if we are paying as much as the reported up to £30 million, then I think Beto is likely to be thinking he's further up the pecking order and not here to provide cover.

Nick, the only clown here is the pleb throwing a titty lip tantrum at those who have different opinions. Did mummy not teach you to share?

Villa changed Gerrard early last season – look what it did, Bournemouth changed O'Neil for an attacking manager and already look improved… Dyche is a PE teacher whose kick-and-run football is being badly found out. Worst start in our history… Ever. 145 years-ish.

For me, I'd already be on the phone to Potter. But, to be reasonable, I think he gets 3 more games. Win all 3 and I shut up and agree he's given the season. If we're 5 games in and on anything less than 3 points, he must go.

Ian, it's an interesting point. I'm assuming with Chermiti as well the plan is to go to Dyche's historically preferred 4-4-2, with two tough physical strikers (out of Calvert-Lewin, Beto and Chermiti) and two tricky wingers whipping them in.

It's the only ‘logical' thinking for me, as I can't see Dyche preferring a 3-5-2 and not making use of Harrison and McNeil. If it's 4-4-2 then 2 or 3 of Doucoucré, Gana, Onana, Iwobi (might get kept wide) and Garner are going to be benchwarmers.

I think our fullbacks also lacking too for 4-4-2, especially on the left, but with Patterson still learning on the right too. To make it work, we would certainly need a “Digne / Baines” type tool overlap and cross too.

All a bit disjointed and random for me. The next few days are going to be very interesting in the market. Regardless of my moan, if we sign Beto and loan out Tom Cannon I think we've finally got enough cover up top.

I liked what I saw from Chermiti's cameo, for a 19-year-old he looked a unit. Made a few clever runs that were ignored by the lack of playmakers in the middle.

Thelwell is incompetent, this Turkish international striker looks the real deal and now he is gone to Leicester on loan.

I haven’t read all the posts but can anyone shed some light on why it took us so long to get this guy, without resorting to telling me the board are shite.

Could it really all be about the fee and how we pay it?

If morale drops, and the situation becomes irretrievable, then absolutely we should roll the dice on a new manager. It's easier to stay in this league than it is to get back into it, and we should pull any lever available if necessary.

But we're a long way off that point; Dyche is a proper manager, unlike Lampard, and the team are behind him it seems.

Having said that, we might just have to accept our fate this season. We've got the right man in post, we're spending what we can, just looks like it won't be enough to keep us up.

Danny Ings? I am done with this incompetence.

Very best of luck to Beto. I also hope he can handle the expectations.

Let's give the lad a chance to prove himself first before we decide he's not good enough, and that means the season and not 2 or 3 games.

Mind you, it's only taken me 3 games to see that Ashley Young is a weak link at left-back and Yerry Mina is missed big time. Tarkowski was asleep letting the scorer drift off his shoulder, Gana went charging out like a headless chicken leaving a big gaping hole.

But we created enough to win 2 games again, Hopefully Beto can score his fair share, he looks a handful.

I remember a striker of ours being described as 'clumsy' not that long ago who scored an absolute boatload over his 2 seasons with us. I think we'd all take that again.

I'm not saying that I think Beto will match Lukaku's output but I reckon he'll be closer to him than Niasse if he can stay fit.

Excited to see what he can bring to the team.

Sam, can't argue with any of that.

I'm hoping one of these days, we're going to thrash a team. It won't paper over the basic cracks but it might help.

I am suffering a dilemma for the Sheffield Utd match. I am considering either watching this or going through the full 18th Wiring Regulations book instead?

I find myself shouting a lot, the dog doesn't like it and often gives me a funny look. It is now affecting not just me but my pets. I try and get excitement from watching Everton, but just find frustration.

Even my half-time cake isn't exciting anymore. I feel if I was physically at the game it would be a problem shared with like 1 and 39,000, problem shared is a problem halved, more like a problem split into 39,000 people.

I keep saying I am not watching anymore, but it's like something drags me back, it's like when a child is told not to watch that, they go and do it out of curiosity.

I would like to put a name to this condition, so that it can be recognized and maybe someone can advertise vitamins to treat it. There does not seem to be an end to this disability? Any ideas what treatment I can take to help, like it might be a phobia, then I need to watch it more.

I assume he's nursing an injury? Racing certainty he will be after a few days at Finch Farm.

Still, he'll be like a new signing come December.

Beto and Danny Ings could be the saviours we so desperately need. If, alongside Calvert-Lewin, they can all play a minimum of 12 games each this season they just might score enough goals to keep us up.

Injury-prone Ings is still miles better than Che sodding Adams.

Bill 142 - whose incompetence? The journalist who wrote this bullshit.

Alec 150,

The Liverpool Echo.

Media hype again, Beto has only just flown out of Italy on a private jet, so much for him travelling yesterday.

Just get him signed today, before Fulham highjack the deal!
We will probably wait until tomorrow to actually sign, but then again the paperwork won't go through until Tuesday, as it's a bank holiday!

Only Everton can show the rest how not to negotiate transfers.

Until I see him in an Everton shirt, the sceptic in me won't consider it a done deal, especially if Kenwright is involved in the process!!

Despite his red connections, I've always thought Ings would be a great buy for us. He can play a lone striker role or in a Number 10.

He's a clever footballer too. At his age and fitness, if we got 1 season out of him alongside Calvert-Lewin or Beto and worst case as the lone striker if both are injured, or for the last 20 mins it would make sense.

Beto, Calvert-Lewin and Ings would give us some critically needed resilience and goals.

Sell Onana for £50-60M now — not 10 mins before the transfer window closes. Put James Garner in centre midfield.

I don't want Ché Adams. Buy Beto or the young striker who's scored 41 goals in 48 games, I can't recall his name… Adam Wharton from Blackburn maybe?

Gnonto or Sulamena on loan, and a top class centre-half!

Bill # 147 - I recommend Vitamin G. That will fix you up in no time. 😉

Gary, I wondered how long it might take someone to suggest Graham Potter would be doing better.

At Brighton, Potter set a club record for the worst start in their top-flight history, winning just 2 of their first 18 games in the 2020-21 season. He also oversaw a club record 14 home games without a win.

Five months before taking the Chelsea job, he oversaw 6 consecutive defeats and a 3-month spell where Brighton failed to score a goal at home. Part of the problem was attack built on March and Trossard pointlessly crossing the ball in to little Maupay – it was also a Lampard-esque tinkering with the formation and personnel.

He was exceptionally lucky not to have been sacked, and luckier still to have been hired by Chelsea where we was completely found out.

Credit for Brighton's success does not go to Potter (or indeed DeZerbi) but to Tony Bloom - and software / algorithms (built on his betting empire) that scours the market on the sort of performance data many on here consider to be complete bollocks.

Scouts are then sent a list of shortlisted players to monitor as to whether they are a good fit for the club and style of play. They focus on emerging / low-cost markets for players, to gain the highest quality at the best value.

Potter was just a right place at the right time guy who benefited from all of this. With this squad, there's no way he'd be doing better.

It looks like a good way of circumventing the proposed ban on
gambling sponsors.

Anthony Dove # 164 - underrated gag. Very good.

If we are skint. where is the money coming from? Are we selling someone for big bucks?

Why, if this Beto comes, did we spend £20 million on a striker, who, when Dom comes back, will be third in line for a game?

Then Maupay is still here. That's Everton that, just like the bus that never arrives.

Because we'll maybe be playing two up front?
Because we need a good level of backup for Calvert-Lewin?
Because we can't score goals?
Because today's game is a squad game rather than a team game?

Enough to be going on with?

Brian,

Dyche himself has just stated, politely, that we don't have a pot to piss in. All I'm asking is if we are skint and under investigation, where is the money coming from and are we selling someone?

I'm very happy we are supposedly buying a striker. And after all this time without a back-up to Dom, which near cost us relegation, all of a sudden, money is no problem.

You didn't answer the first two questions. If we are skint, where is the money coming from, and are we selling someone for big bucks?

Paul, yes, agreed.

We'll end up spending £40M on attackers, neither of whom will be in the team when Calvert-Lewin is fit. There is a reason we are in the mess we are in.

Maybe we should make a cheeky loan bid for De Bruyne? There are better injured players out there than Harrison. And he'd still be out when Harrison comes back.

Kevin, true, Pat, oh sarcasm, I love it😀

Paul #170, it's all about the payment terms.

When Dyche talks about 'constructing a deal', it's about us paying a small fee upfront, then in instalments. No doubt we're missing out on players on this basis.

Paul (168),

I'd imagine Demarai Gray is kindly facilitating the funds for the Beto transfer.

Paul, we are, as a whole, skint. We can't get funding to finish the stadium, we are hundreds of millions in debt. We are being investigated on a get-in-line policy.

Now, according to Brian, we have just spent £50 million on back-up strikers for Calvert-Lewin, when we need a creative centre-midfielder, and our full-backs are crap.

Assuming he does sign, it will be another season when we've written off the first 3 or 4 games of the season. First up after the international break is Arsenal, what a lovely easy game.….

Looking at the squad:

Pickford / Virginia

Patterson / Coleman
Young / Mykolenko
Branthwaite / Godfrey
Tarkowski / Young

Onana / Gana
Garner / Doucoure
Iwobi / Alli

McNeil
Beto / Calvert-Lewin / Chermiti
Danjuma / Harrison

First choice 11 First. Subs next.

For me, I still don't see enough goals or creativity in a side that will always get a high share of injuries.

If you say you need 40 goals a season minimum, I can't see who is going to get us to that level.

Leaving Gbamin, Gomes, Gray, Maupay, Cannon out on loan.

Beto deal.

Very well structured:

https://members.boardhost.com/peoplesforum/msg/1693146140.html

So we're essentially getting Beto for free for a year and don't have to pay Udinese until next year according to that Stephen? Good deal in that case which also tells me we may have another target in place after him.

Paul Kossof 176. We do not need a creative midfielder we need a half decent striker. We have been creating chances just not putting them away.

Living in Texas, I'm very happy to see us sign Beto.

I've heard transfer fees quoted, and we may or may not be able to afford them, but wages are also critical here. If he doesn't come off- and his pedigree does suggest a risk on that- then the last thing we need is yet another dodo we can't shift on £5m a year.

Another link saying that payment terms for Beto which have been agreed gives us a payment holiday to Aug 2024 is here Link which, if true, is clever and good business.

No word if the medical has been completed yet though. Presumably we are paying an inflated fee for this. So what.

Paul, the question is how much of that £50m will go in this year's accounts? And how much of that will be offset by player sales/departures?

Who knows, maybe he is another late bloomer like Werder Bremen's Niclas Füllkrug!

If the article from Stephen is correct, we haven't spent £50m on two back up strikers to DCL. We have spent:

- about £2m to £3m on Chermiti, with a view to him becoming our main striker in about 3 seasons. The balance of the c. £10.5m fee is then payable on the drip or performance related;

- nothing yet on Beto, who will be straight in as our main striker, with DCL being his understudy; and

- about £2.5m on the Danjuma loan.

I know we all like to bash the club but that is pretty darn good business if true. Finally we have high quality options in attack.

In terms of needing full backs we have Mykolenko and Coleman to come in, so let's not pretend full back is some kind of disaster zone.

In terms of creativity we have McNeil, Harrison and (if he stays) Iwobi. That trio got 3, 7 and 8 assists respectively last season.

From The Athletic:

The deal is worth £21.4million, plus £4.2million in add-ons and no payment until July 2024!

Sounds like a very good deal to me.

Why are people quoting we've paid £50M for strikers?

Chermiti payment this year is £3M, Danjuma is £3M loan fee and Beto is nothing until next year. That's £6M spent this year on forward players plus a loan for Harrison which had no fee.

Also means there could be room left in the budget for more incomings on the last week. If we have very little money then bringing in 4 forward players for £6M is pretty damn good business financially. Southampton want more than that for Ché Adams alone as I believe they want close to £15M upfront.

If that is true, Soren, then take a bow, Thelwell!

Soren, it's a shrewd deal that may just allow us, along with the Gray sale, to pay enough up front for Gnonto. Think there may be another bid going in soon.

Also looks like Dyche wants the young Blackburn central midfielder Adam Wharton.

'Take a bow Thelwell????'

For fuck's sake, he's left us without a goalscoring replacement for the unavailable Calvert-Lewin for 2 years, and he finally looks like he's managed to do his job for once, suddenly he's the Pope's uncle!!

God save us if electricians and surgeons were allowed that leeway.

Thelwell in Excelsius!

Amen

If people can't recognise that we've done sensible business this summer, then they're either blind or have a heavy axe to grind.

Bringing in Beto, Harrison, Danjuma, Chermiti and Young for around £4M in initial transfer/loan fees is great work and gives us a fair chunk more firepower with little expenditure.

There may be more to come in yet and hopefully more to leave. Cannon will depart on loan and hopefully Maupay might find a new home too. I still worry about our defense but you can only fix so many holes at a time without money.

The cunning plan is Beto scores 25 goals then we sell him for double the price before we pay Udinese.

Kieran, if a player scored 25 goals for us, I'd kidnap him pre-season and keep him til the day after the window closed.

Mick, has Thelwell been in situ for over 2 years?

Thelwell has had only 2 summer transfer windows with us, with his hands tied behind his back financially. And this, only his second summer window, looks like ending on a high.

Tony, 190,
Shrewd deal, yes. However, It is mind boggling why he left it so late to bring him in! We had been linked with him all summer.

Some of the comments on here truly boggle the mind.

The daily lament for the past two years has been "we need to sign a striker" (coupled with some frankly vicious pillorying of DCL as some sort of useless sick note who cares more about fashion runways) and people then have the utter audacity to post this:

"Why are we signing Beto? He's just going to sit on the bench when Calvert-Lewin plays. A creative midfielder should be the priority" (This is where I would add about a dozen face-palm emojis.) You can't make it up!

As for Beto, if Sam Hoare and Robert Tressell think he's a solid signing, that's good enough for me.

Bill, it is a case of behind every silver lining there lies a black cloud.

Bill #201

Know you'll hate it but...👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

See Forest are negotiating for N'Didi. He'd be an absolute massive upgrade on Gueye.

Defence is being left open, but N'Didi, Onana and Garner as a midfield with Doucoure as an option off the bench would be potentially very good (for our level). Add the potential of Alli.

A central defender, plus the addition of Beto and hopefully a winger and the season may yet be salvaged. Ideally a new right back and maybe a left back in January.

Judging this window and this window alone, Thelwell has done a good job. Bringing in Young, Harisson, Chermiti, Danjuma and Beto for £6M paid is as good as we could get surely.

The blame once again is on Moshiri. For two years now he's not spent a penny on the squad. We made money last year with the sales of Richarlison, Gordon and Kean alone and with the sales of Gray, Simms and all the players let go either on loan or released we've actually made money. Granted it's pretty close to zero with the continuation of pay transfer fees from last year (Onana etc).

If, as Alan Myers is reporting, Beto is our last transfer in,then the question is that when we were one game away from relegation last season, how can the club afford a net spend of zero this window? If it is true, then Moshiri needs to be protested out the day the transfer window shuts.

Financial rules are not the thing holding us back. Thelwell has proven he can bring in players for next to nothing. We've not spent a penny transferwise (net spend) since Usmanov was kicked back to Russia and Moshiri is either letting us rot or the money was never his and we're owned by a fraudster. Either way, he needs to go.

Alex #205

There are also significant wages involved which impact FFP.

This reminds me of 1994-95. If you recall we spent a lot of money to fix our problems by signing a big burly looking forward in Amokachi. We also brought in a tall, gangly player on loan from Rangers who looked well short in his first few games.

This time around two physically similar forwards arrive in the shape of Beto and Chemmiti. Will the latter make his mark with a powering header off a Mykolenko in the derby. Will Beto sub himself on for Calvert-Lewin in the cup semi v Spurs?

Everton manager Sean Dyche has lifted the lid on the difficulties the club face in the transfer market going into the final week before the window closes.

The Echo understands the Blues are currently working on trying to finalise a move for Beto of Udinese, with his 19-year-old fellow Portuguese striker Youssef Chermiti their only cash signing of the summer so far. Dyche said: “The thing I've always tried to manage is reality. When I came here, it was made clear this is likely to be how this pans out over the coming months, so that's the reality.

“I can't manage a non-reality. People have said to me, Evertonians, ‘Why haven't you signed two strikers?' and have said it in that way like I've not wanted to sign them.

“I do find that a bit odd. I've never known a manager that doesn't want to sign strikers. Trust me, I don't know any at any level.

“It's fair to say that I do want to sign strikers but they have to be ones that can actually affect what we're doing and the deal has to work. Someone was asking the other day about Youssef, it actually worked – I'm not going to go into the details because it's private – but it actually works over how we can construct a deal.

“So it doesn't mean you can't do another deal, it means we've got to construct them in a way that can work.”

Chelsea, who have spent more than £850million since owner Todd Boehly took over last summer, have now splashed out around £323million on eight players in this transfer window, getting around Financial Fair Play restrictions by offering recruits lengthy contracts. While Dyche refuses to speak about other clubs' spending, he explained why Everton have been forced to reduce their own outlays.

He said: “There's been arguably around £500million put into the club. There comes a time when you go ‘well we can't keep putting £500million into the club so therefore the cloth has to be cut accordingly.'

“I thought that was quite apparent but people keep asking me about it. It seems quite apparent for a club like Everton to be finding it tricky to get these deals done and working in the market, bringing loan players in and trying as hard to construct deals and a stadium that costs a few quid around the corner as well, that seems reasonably apparent to me.

“If I was an Evertonian, I'd be a bit understanding of the fact of how much does someone put in, I don't know, how much is the expectation to constantly keep money in? Eventually it's, ‘I've tried all that and the party is where it is.'” Source: Liverpool Echo.

I am an Evertonian and I expect the manager to understand that Evertonians have seen precious little in the way of good play, goals or points, despite the fact that £500m(?) has been put into the club. There's been no party, but one heck of a hangover, Sean.

Jeff

True. What was it 24 million for an athletic guy who might do the triathlon at the county fair but has no footballing talent

Apologies for past abuse of that tactic Kieran. Jeff, you’re on yer own now. I’m so inspired by this I’m going to take my mild xG rant down a notch and give the other side some free info.

Kieran, this I don’t get, Ben Godfrey is an athlete no doubt, how does he get from age 10 at various clubs and constantly being rejected by the likes of Bolton, Leeds and Blackburn to a premier league club at 22 without being found out as having little or no footballing talent and given contracts worth millions for years, it’s absolutely ludicrous.
Oh and we’re the fall guys again, stuck with him.

Jesus wept. Mctominay scores 6 because the opposition have to worry about Fernandes, Erikson, Casemiro, Rashford, Antony, Sancho. There is more space for him to operate in because he has got good players creating space by pulling defenders out of position.

United fans think he is shit for a reason. Keiran Richardson scored goals at united, doesn't mean he was any good.

We actually need creativity in midfield, someone who can pick runs, play clever passes and retain and move possession on. McTominay is just another work horse. Good pro but not the quality we need.

Jesus did indeed weep, cos he was injured for long periods at both Man City and Arsenal, meanwhile Mctominay scored the odd winner from midfield that put points on the board.

It's great that we are (apparently) paying so little upfront for the incoming but at the risk of stating the obvious, we are also building up a big liability in obligations of future fees and wages.

Put it this way, if they turn out to no better than the incomings of the past few years, we have just dug the hole even deeper. Here's hoping Thelwell has spotted a diamond that at the very least can be sold to cover the liability of the others.

Better still, they are all diamonds. That would be a change in fortune...

Ray, Brent; 2 years = 4 windows, and all we've got to show for it up to now is a young untried lad for the future, and Maupay.

Looks like a Paul Rideout type player, not a bad thing.

Si,

If he's like Rideout, then him replacing Maupay would be like swapping Rideout back in the day for someone like Barlow… lmao! Wait a minute — I guess that's what actually happened.

I remember Rideout cost a fraction of what we paid Rangers for Mo Johnston. I always liked him. He reminds me of Louis Saha not in terms of how he played but in that neither were prolific but they were both (when fit) model professionals who'd regularly score goals like a pendulum. Not every week like Lineker but every three games or so and when they didn't score they worried their socks off.

If Beto is in the same mold I will be delighted. I've never seen him but, as Bill Gienapp points out, our resident scouts, Robert and Sam, rate him. So I'm hopeful they're correct and not the few comparing him unfavorably with Niasse. That said, even Niasse would be better than what we currently have.

Mike #153,

I know he played for Liverpool but isn't Ings an Evertonian?

I just put the cut throat razor down and decided to try a little ray of sunshine. We're actually creating chances. Blind Pew could have had a couple by now.

So if Beto scored 21(?) last season, if he scores 10 this, he could be our new Kevin Campbell.

Fingers crossed.

George, Beto scored 10 last season in about 34 appearances (but only 2,000 or so minutes). Though it was in a fairly middling Udinese team.

I'm not sure he will be a prolific scorer but he should provide a decent focal point and his strength and athleticism should suit the Premier League and Dyche's style.

I think 10 goals this season should be the minimum aim and is achievable if he stays fit; though it will be interesting to see who is preferred between him and Calvert-Lewin when both are fit. Maybe both?

There's also a possibility of succession planning going on here with the Beto and Chermiti signings. Calvert-Lewin will have one year left on his contract next summer so may well want to move or be sold. So the idea, in theory, is that the instalments can start when we raise some money from that sale.

Because we have not paid anything upfront for Beto, there could still be a chance we will make another final move for Gnonto. Leeds may well have said behind the scenes, "If you can raise the money that we want (£30M including add-ons), you can have him."

The Gray sale to Saudi plus the delayed-payment Beto deal may allow it or if not Sulemana. Anyway, we don't have long to wait for all to become clear.

Tony # 244,

I think that's a really good point. Chermiti should hopefully benefit from a more experienced player and, crucially I expect, another Portuguese speaker to learn from.

Sky now reporting Gray's move is in doubt. Could this affect the Beto deal?

Mick #233

"Ray, Brent; 2 years = 4 windows, and all we've got to show for it up to now is a young untried lad for the future, and Maupay".

Mick, if Thelwell was only appointed in February 2022, isn't that only 3 windows, not 4? And 1 was only a winter window when there are fewer players available for transfer.

So only 2 (summer) windows when there's anything meaningful to consider for transfer deals. And we're still in the 3rd window, not yet closed.

Geoff,

I read that but it was the move to that particular Saudi club that was in jeopardy. Another Saudi club has expressed late interest in him, so he may have a choice.

Who knows what's going on?

Sky Sports News reporting Beto is on Merseyside having a medical today. Hopefully he will be announced later this afternoon.

Geoff and Tony…

Apparently it's boardroom issues with the Saudi club interested in Demarai Gray that's holding up his move.

Where have we heard that before? Tony, you're right, there is another Saudi club interested in him.

Once we've signed him (fingers crossed) can we please go and sign Roberto Pereyra?

He was released by Undinese at the end of last season. He captained Udinese last season. He can play anywhere across the midfield. He scores goals and creates them. He understands how Beto plays too. He's a leader and former Argentine International.

He's just the old head we need in midfield right now. Yes, he's 32 but he played 36 games last season and over 75 minutes 30 times – he's no slouch. Last season he scored 5 goals with 9 assists. The previous 2 seasons, 10 goals and 14 assists from 60 games. We missed out on Chavez, on a free don't let this guy slip through our fingers.

Has Beto signed yet or are he and his agent parked outside Finch Farm, not realising it's a Bank Holiday and the place is closed!

The Saudi club is asking Bill, "What would Everton do?"

Bill is keeping them in suspension while he tells them about all the “good times” we've had under his stewardship.

This Beto lad had Beto be good or I give up.

Thanks, Rob.

This move can with a bit of luck shape Everton's season for the better and goals will come this week.

UTFTs!

Gray will still go to Saudi. It's the PIF (Public Investment Fund) who buys the players anyway and they then get contracted to a club so once the PIF have identified a target, they effectively just allocate the player to a club.

Gray will still go.

Has he failed his medical yet?

Bill is trying to find a quack on the cheap, Martin.

Jack Convery 254, sounds an ideal AMF.

I'm not sure if our guys are switched on enough to check this out. They prefer Premier League has-beens...

Steve Cotton, in some respects Pereyra is a Premier League has-been as he played over 100 games for Watford some years ago. He might be quite a good stop-gap if Iwobi leaves but otherwise will probably end up in Saudi Arabia for better weather, bigger wages, and an easier league. That's where I'd be headed if I were him.

Jack Convery, Chavez ended up costing €6.5M in the end (although not sure why as he appeared to be out of contract).

Funny how over the years we have had a succession of strikers brought in at some considerable cost and yet here we are without anyone who can find the net after three games against average teams.

It begs the question: Who are the people doing the scouting and recommending we sign these bums who have come and gone without doing anything? We all know the names and only Cahill and Johnson can be considered good deals and maybe Lukaku.

It never rains but it pours especially when Liverpool can win again with ten men and by using a substitute striker.

Yes, it is a grim situation but better to have this situation now than the end of April.

We are all praying that these new lads will halt the slide very soon as I think we Evertonians have been through hell recently.

COYB

Emile Smith-Rowe at Arsenal is apparently available on loan; he would add some creativity in the final third.

Tom Bowers.

I hardly think we can call Andy Johnson a good signing... he was good for the first 6 matches – that's about it!

Yakubu was much better. It was just a shame about the injury which cut his career short here.

Worrying stats for Beto?

Beto could provide Everton with goals but he may struggle in the Premier League — Goodison News

Gerry @265,

Those stats probably explain why Everton have managed to structure the deal in the way that they have, another gamble that may or not pay off; however, we need forward players and this is possibly the best we can get for the price and terms that we're willing to accept.

Everton don't do buying good strikers, expensive or otherwise, not since the '80s (with a few notable exceptions).

If you looked at stats for Romelu Lulaku over the past 2 seasons you wouldn't touch him with a bargepole.

Would you take him? Of course you would. I'm so pleased we're not signing Ché Adams.

From KFC to Kenwright's Football Club:

Beto's story, however, remains one of the most inspiring in professional football, not just in Serie A.

As revealed in an interview with DAZN in February 2022, he used to work at KFC before the beginning of his career as a professional footballer in Portugal.

“I was working at KFC and it was good,” he said at that time.

“When I return home, I always go to that KFC restaurant to visit my friends.

“I've always believed I could become a footballer. I wanted to become a professional football player, but my teammates didn't believe it. Maybe just two of them. They were telling me: ‘Beto, it's hard, it's impossible.' Then I joined Portimonense and they changed their mind.”

Beto spoke about his job at KFC during another interview with Gazzetta, saying that, despite his experience, he does not exaggerate with fried chicken.

“I don't eat a lot of fried chicken,” he admitted. “It was a nice experience, but I had to wake up early and I like to sleep a lot. I love staying home and playing Call of Duty more than FIFA.”

From KFC to Serie A and EPL: The story of new Everton striker Beto

I will be glad once this guy's in. He'll need time to adjust so hope the match-going faithful don't expect him to start banging in hat-tricks from the off.

At 6ft-4in, we'll have a decent target to aim at and presence at set-pieces. We can then also stop sweating over Calvert-Lewin's fitness.

It would be great to offload Maupay but one thing at a time.

Robert Tressell,

Chavez bought out his contract with his former club as he wanted a move to Russia - God knows why. We could have hijacked him !!!

As regards Pereyra, I see him as an old head who still has the legs to do a job for us. The fact he was Udinese's Captain and played with Beto I see as a plus – he may well help him to settle here, having played for 4 years with Watford.

He knows the Premier League inside and out, Given he can play RM / CM especially we could get James Garner more in CM with Pereyra RM. We need more options and on a freebie it just makes sense to me. He scores and creates something our midfield don't do apart from Doucoure of course.

Tony 244, not only succession planning but also allocation of limited funds toward investment players.

Getting Beto in on reported terms allows us to invest in assets with higher expected return rather than dedicating those funds to necessary but less rewarding buys.

Get him up top with Calvert-Lewin. Defenders won't look forward to playing against them two. Hopefully things can start changing and chances are put away.

The lad will need time, though.

I'm feeling a little, just a little, bit more optimistic and the other players to return... and hopefully, a new face or 3!

I’m seeing we have verbally made an offer for Sulemama. Also not much interest competing with us. What are our chances here? Does anyone have a take?

To the guy asking whether Danny Ings was a childhood Everton or Liverpool fan...

Fairly sure he's a Southampton native, so could definitely pass as a kopite, but I have a strong feeling he was also a Southampton fan.

Dale, My take is that Sulemana won’t want to spend 46 games getting kicked throughout the Championship season. Southampton may not see him as suitable for it either. There’s probably an agreement he can go if Southampton can recover costs. I’m not convinced he would be as immediately influential as Gnonto, I wouldn’t be surprised see another attempt to sign him instead.

Well, at least we know Beto is in town, as he has been spotted leaving the Titanic hotel this morning. The Red Echo also reporting we've an interest in striker Johan Bakayoko of PSV.

Beto spotted, Nico Elvedi talks, Johan Bakayoko battle

Tony, I’d take cost plus for him. 22m was what they paid Rennes. Anything in that region and I’d do it.

Another clickbate story seems to be Danny Ings. 8

If… sorry, when this lad signs, that will mean Everton's and Liverpool's front two are all Portuguese. What are the chances?

Rob 273,

That doesn't bode well for an Everton signing, seen leaving the Titanic hotel, sinking ship and all.

Kevin, if he is half as good as the one who scored twice yesterday, he will be a good buy.

Kevin (276) - The chances are nil.

Mainly because Darwin Nunez is from Uruguay, and Jota is the only Portuguese player across the park.

Paul #277,

"That doesn't bode well for an Everton signing, seen leaving the Titanic hotel, sinking ship and all."

Leaving The Titanic actually sounds a wise choice, Paul!

Has he signed yet or are they waiting until the final day of the window?

According to El Bobble, Beto has now signed. Official announcement will probably be at sometime next year the way this club operates.

A striker in. Big pressure now on him to hit the ground running. Let's see what he can do.

Before the announcement, we will be told he is carrying an injury and is expected to be fit after Christmas.

Mark Frere - Andy Johnson scored in that 3-0 win on my 30th Birthday. I got to take giant 3-0 balloons around town. The man is a goal-scoring legend. That is all.

Kunal, they can announce it next decade for all I care, as long he’s announced in the team next Saturday.

Colin #281, it will probably be the last day of the winter transfer window to save a few quid on wages.

For fuck's sake, is this now going to be an ongoing thing, players not training to try and force through a transfer?

Matheus Nunez of Wolves has apparently stopped training to try and force through his move to Man City.

Norbert is a Blue!!

Welcome aboard Norberto.

You are not dreaming. We have bought a striker.

Let that sink in.

Tony #290

"We have bought a striker. Let that sink in."

Tony, given that he was apparently spotted at The Titanic earlier today, your reference to "sink" worries me a bit.

Talking of The Titanic, which suffered something of a "leak" in 1912, I read an obituary in today's Grauniad following the death yesterday of the designer of the 1970s Austin Allegro car. The Allegro was notorious for leaks as well as windscreens falling out, etc. Anyway, the obituary noted that "the car had such a firm following among elderly motorists that one reviewer suggested it should come with a bifocal windscreen".

A car popular amongst football referees, no doubt.

This guy Beto is a big lad so should help us defend corners but, on the other hand, might score a goal or two before he is sent out on loan.

Just hope that he and Chermitti can make a difference sooner than later as we are in need of something to cheer about.

Brent,

The symbolism: he was brought to the Titanic (Everton under Moshiri and Kenwright) to steer us away from the big pointy iceberg that is the Championship… Good try?

My dad was a mechanic and came home with every car under the sun from Tuebrook car auctions. He had an Allegro for a few months, small, slow, not much use even as a back-up, and couldn't sell it for love nor money. Remind you of anyone?

Tony, I could suggest one or two!

Well, I don't think there has been an official announcement, but the Bobble and other sources are suggesting it's done.

Looks promising.

Quick and powerful, but most importantly for a striker, takes his chances quickly and early, often with his first touch.

If it's happening, welcome to Everton.

Beto is a decent addition of course. I still think our problem lies at the centre of midfield. One of either Gana, Onana or Doucouré has to give way for Garner.

It's a long season and with Afcon there will be shuffling. But it's clear this 3 hasn't worked.

Is Dyche thinking the workrate of McNeil and Harrison will enable us to play 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1?? I hope when McNeil and Harrison are available, and maybe another addition, the focus shifts from that 3 being our go to midfield.

If there were offers for Gana from Saudi I'd take them to be honest. Imo, he's the one who could be sacrificed to play Garner there to provide some service to the striker(s).

I feel a bit for Dyche, the injuries have put a giant spanner in the works of what was already going to be a tough season.

Beto will need to hit the ground running… running like Usain Bolt!!!

Forest looking at N'Didi, last year of his Leicester contract, at 26 a better option than Gueye?

A friend in Italy told me rumors were that Napoli had Beto earmarked as a replacement for Victor Osimhen if the latter had been enticed to Riyadh.

View among Napoli fans was that he's good (Beto) but inconsistent. An inconsistent striker who is good on his day is a big upgrade on what we've been used to for some time.

Beto looks pissed in the picture, taken in front of the Titanic hotel. 😂

A glacier moves faster than Everton's negotiators. Good job Terry Waite wasn't relying on them.

People on here picking on Gueye I find crazy.

He is one of our main players and, if he wasn't playing, we would soon realise what we were missing.

Gueye is our ball-winner and with the right partner in centre midfield, which is Garner, he is fine.

When he started playing with Garner towards the end of last season, he was excellent, as was Doucouré.

It is Onana who is the weak link and he needs to be left out the team. Onana completely messes up Gueye's game. Gueye has to cover for Onana's lack of effort while also getting on with his own job.

You must have slept through the Wolves game.
Gueye was awful!

Soren. How do you think we got him to sign.?

So many questions, Paul. So many questions. 😁

Brian,

It may surprise you to find out Gueye had a 92.7% pass rate in that game far exceeding the other two.

He may seem to give the ball away a lot but he is involved in all of our progressive play. Pity he can't score goals though.

Now that this seems done and dusted – it is, isn't it? Can we go and get Soares from Arsenal on loan for the right-back berth? We won't then have to keep putting Garner there when Patterson or Coleman are out.

Arsenal loaned him to Fulham last season and they already have 2 full-backs to pick from. It will also put pressure on for places which we won't have at right-back until October at the earliest. I doubt it will break the bank either.

We still need a playmaker too!!!

Personally I think Gana is the weak link.

For an experienced player, he goes charging around leaving gaps galore. He is the fella who has played Champions League football, has umpteen Premier League appearances and should be guiding the younger players through the game. I've been very underwhelmed since he returned.

No matchday thread as yet.

Approximately 6,000 Evertonians will be marching into South Yorkshire in the space of 4 days this week, backed up by those watching all over the country and around the globe.

Gutted as a kid in 1977. Robbed in 1984; a blatant penalty and ignored handball by Hansen, but no surprises there.

It's been a bad start, but nothing is done or decided yet and lots to play for.

We have to win this trophy at some point and we will climb the league.

A fairly comprehensive snapshot of transfers for the last five full seasons up to and including 2022-23 can be found on the link below.

Five seasons net spend Premier League

There's plenty of graphs, and if you look further down the first page a detailed list of the ins and outs for each club during the period.

Colin, until Gray was inexplicably dropped, he was our top scorer. Scoring goals is something we struggle with, so getting rid of a goalscorer and 'hoping' those replacing him will come good is too risky for a club teetering on the brink

Anyone know where Beto is? We want to see him in the shirt!

Joe, he's in the waiting room at The Royal; he told them he was signing for Everton, now they're waiting on an assessment to see if he is to be sectioned.

If the player has had his medical, assuming it's OK, then personal terms would have been agreed. So why the delay in announcement? Is this because the club wants a different option of payment deal? A pay later? It was reported the price was agreed, if so why the delay?