Everton must accelerate Roma agreement as Beto swap deal looms
Everton should make it a priority in January to finalise a swap deal with Roma that sees Beto and Artem Dovbyk move in opposite directions.
Beto has failed to ever make a consistent impact at Everton since his £25.8 million move from Udinese in the summer of 2023.
He scored five goals in 37 appearances in his debut campaign, then 10 in 34 last season, while he has just two strikes in 18 games so far in 2025-26 with Thierno Barry now David Moyes‘ clear first-choice striker.
Football Insider’s sources have revealed that Moyes wants to replace Beto in January as they aim to provide better competition for Barry and compete for European qualification this season.
With the window now edging ever closer and Beto failing to score since the end of August, a move away seems very likely, and the Toffees have to go back in for summer target Dovbyk with a swap deal believed to be possible in the new year.
Everton have been linked to Dovbyk previously with Beto exchange now a possibility
Football Insider revealed back in August that Everton had submitted a bid for Roma striker Dovbyk worth around £37m.
He was believed to be keen on a move to England, 18 months on from joining Roma from La Liga club Girona, but a move never materialised despite both clubs club being owned by the Friedkin Group.
Four months on, and the Toffees have seemingly reignited their interest in the 28-year-old, with Italian journalist Matteo Moretto reporting that a swap deal involving Dovbyk and Beto could be a “working hypothesis” for Roma and Everton heading into January.
The Ukrainian striker’s willingness to move to Merseyside reportedly “remains to be seen”, but he has only started three Serie A games this season and Roma are known to be interested in numerous strikers ahead of next month.
Everton should push for no-brainer swap involving Beto and Dovbyk
Everton’s previous interest in Dovbyk will have excited their supporters, considering his experience in numerous leagues and impressive scoring record over the years.
He netted regularly in his home country for Dnipro before a 2023 move to Girona, and then was one of the most prolific scorers in his sole season in La Liga, with 24 goals in 36 appearances.
The 28-year-old scored regularly for Roma last season, with 17 goals in 45 appearances as he won the Serie A Player of the Month award for March.
His downfall has been clear to see this season, as the likes of Edoardo Bove and Evan Ferguson are preferred to start for the Italian giants, but there is clearly a top striker in there and he could be a huge asset to the Toffees if he joins soon.
Dovbyk could do very little and still have more of an impact at Everton than Beto is likely to have in the second-half of this campaign, and he is worth a lot more, so it seems a complete no-brainer to complete a swap deal that sees both players go on loan to the other club for six months.