DAVID MOYES is ready to enter the transfer market in January to find the striker that can make his side a Premier League force.
Midtjylland frontman Franculino Dju is a top target for the Toffees boss.
Moyes insists he is not ready to give up just yet on misfiring pair Beto and Thierno Barry.
But he is close to doing so with Barry, who cost £27million from Villarreal in the summer.
He is yet to net in 12 appearances — and missed a sitter in Monday’s 1-1 draw at Sunderland.
Beto, 27, who plays with Dju for Guinea- Bissau, has drawn blanks in his last eight games.
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Midtjylland are already bracing themselves for the loss of Dju, who has hit 13 goals in 13 Danish Superliga games so far, plus two in the Europa League, including one in a 3-1 win over Celtic on Thursday.
Bologna are also interested in the 21-year-old and Midtjylland sporting director Kristian Bach Bak admits his club are already working on a replacement for him.
He revealed: “We are looking through the entire market to find that proven goalscorer. And, if we had seen Franculino somewhere with everything he can do, he would probably have been our first choice, too.
“If he continues as he is doing now, there will be interest in Franculino this winter. We know that.”
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With owners The Friedkin Group now settled in and having sorted out £600m of debt, and with the club’s new 52,000-seater Hill Dickinson stadium bringing in an extra £50m a year, Moyes is eagerly looking forward to the January sales.
The Scot said: “Every window gives you an opportunity. We would want be out there trying to be busy, although that doesn’t mean I’m going to be busy.
“But we are in a different position financially now with the new owners and they would certainly back us. We’re trying to build in every window.”
Beto, with just 17 goals in 83 games since signing from Udinese for £26m in 2023, is likely to be restored to today’s starting line–up against Fulham after making way for Barry against the Black Cats.
Frenchman Barry looked distraught when Beto replaced him.
The Everton boss claims he is not losing faith in either. Moyes, 62, said: “We like both of them. They’re both big boys. We hope the goals are going to come from them and remember, Beto did really well last season when no one expected him to score goals.
“He did fantastically well, and without his goals, I don’t think we’d be in the Premier League today.”
Indeed, after Moyes replaced Sean Dyche as boss, Beto, who had scored only one league goal beforehand, then banged in seven.
Yet after a bright start to the new campaign, Everton have only one point and one goal from their last three games.
Moyes admitted: “We’re not writing off any of our strikers but we do need more goals.
“Let’s be fair, most clubs need their number nine to score goals. But it’s not just down to the frontmen, we also needs our number fives to chip in as well.”
The arrival of Jack Grealish has had a big impact on how Moyes’ side have moved on from last season’s struggles.
But the on-loan Manchester City wideman, who has rediscovered the form that made him a £100m buy from Aston Villa four years ago, was yesterday again ignored by England head coach Thomas Tuchel.
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Moyes could hardly care less, growling: “I thought you were going to ask me about Scotland — we’ve got two huge games coming up you know.
“And Jack? We are really pleased with him.”
