Udinese have been warned to ‘enjoy Beto for as long as we can’ after the Newcastle United target hit a hat-trick in Serie A this weekend, via Tuttomercatoweb.
He’s been compared to Romelu Lukaku but, inside half an hour at the Dacia Arena on Sunday afternoon, Beto scored more goals than Chelsea’s £97 million centre-forward has managed in his last 17 Premier League outings.
And his first of the game was the sort of instinctive poacher’s finish that Lukaku has looked incapable of during much of his second spell at Stamford Bridge.
The movement, in particular, will be alien to Chelsea supporters who have watched the Belgian amble across the turf with all the enthusiasm of a moody teenager dragged along for a family hike on a drizzly February morning.
Darting to the near post before pulling off to the far, Beto took the chance like a man who could score goals in his sleep. It was the Cagliari defence who were caught slumbering, however, as the 24-year-old doubled his tally, racing away to finish in style.
Beto’s hat-trick finish means he’s now scored 11 times in his debut Serie A season. Whether he sticks around for a second one, however, remains to be seen.
Is Beto Newcastle’s next striker?
According to MondoUdinese, nouveau-riche Newcastle United are tracking the former Benfica youngster.
Beto, if he can emulate his Udinese form at another black-and-white clad club, would go a long way to easing the goalscoring burden on Callum Wilson’s shoulders at St James’ Park.
“Parachuted in from a small Portuguese club to an important Serie A team. What more could we ask from him?” Marino said of Beto, who joined Udinese from Portimonense last summer.
“He has enormous room for improvement. We can only be happy for him. Let’s enjoy him as long as we can.”
It is the final sentence that may strike fear into the hearts of Udinese supporters.
Marino knows all-too well that, with Beto going from strength to strength at a mid-table club, then interest in his star striker is only going to increase as the summer window looms into view.
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