Nottingham Forest tipped to sign Everton duo by legendary scout
Nottingham Forest would be making a strong addition if they can get hold of either Thierno Barry or Beto this summer.
That is the opinion of legendary former senior Everton, Tottenham and Aston Villa scout, Bryan King, speaking exclusively to Football Insider.
The Tricky Trees are reportedly weighing up a move for the 28-year-old, who has just one year remaining on his contract at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Beto, who joined Everton in 2024 in a deal worth around £25million, has shown no signs of agreeing an extension to his deal and will leave for free next summer if no compromise is found.
Barry joined from Villarreal in a £27m deal last summer, and has been linked with an exit this summer after an inconsistent first Premier League campaign.
It would likely take an eye-catching fee to encourage Everton to part ways with the 23-year-old, however, though the likes of Liam Delap have been of interest.
Beto would be 'a decent squad player' for Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest find themselves in an interesting position when it comes to their strikers.
Both Chris Wood and Taiwo Awoniyi are down to the final year of their contracts, and could leave this summer.
And while there is no doubt about Igor Jesus' position in the squad, Arnaud Kalimuendo had been expected to leave but is prompting discussion with his pre-season displays.
The 24-year-old has scored in both friendlies so far, and is coming off the back of a loan move that saw him net six in 19 appearances for Eintracht Frankfurt.
"I would have thought that one of Everton's priorities would have been last season to get a real old-fashioned centre-forward up front, but that hasn't materialised," King told Football Insider.
"I think he's a decent squad player [Beto], to be honest. I think either of them, Barry or Beto, could be a plus for Nottingham Forest to go for.
"But again, if you've got any sense, you're not going to sell until you've got your replacements in place."
How does Beto rank statistically?
Despite taking plenty of criticism last season, Beto did ultimately score nine Premier League goals from just 17 starts.
The Guinea-Bissau international registered 8.91 expected goals and took 2.47 shots per 90 minutes.
His strengths are often limited to the opposition box, however. The forward only created just 0.69 chances per 90 last season, and completed just 34.1 per cent of his attempted dribbles.
Beto is a fighter, however, and won 7.65 duels per game. He will undoubtedly represent a good option for Nottingham Forest should he arrive this summer.