Nottingham Forest wanted £17m giant but now he could join Everton instead

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Nottingham Forest explored a January a move for Rodrigo Becao and the Serie A centre-back could now end up at Premier League rivals Everton instead.

Physical, technically-gifted and more-than-adept in a back-three system, it does not take a tactical mastermind to work out what Steve Cooper saw in Becao.  

The towering Brazilian, Mondo Udinese say, was on Forest’s extensive winter wishlist, the two-time European champions suffering something of a defensive-injury crisis at the time. 

Udinese, however, did not respond to Nottingham Forest’s enquiry. The same fate befell an Everton side who ‘presented an offer’ some four months previously. With Becao’s contract soon entering it’s final 12 months, Udinese will no longer be able to ignore the interest in one of Italy’s most underrated central defenders. 

Nottingham Forest, Everton and Napoli like Rodrigo Becao

Becao, the report adds, is ‘very likely’ to leave the Dacia Arena before 2023/24 kicks off. An Everton side who have shipped 40 goals in 28 Premier League games under Frank Lampard and Sean Dyche remain interested.

TuttoUdinese believe the Toffees could offer £30 million for both Becao and centre-forward Beto. But that is unlikely to be enough. Udinese value Beto at around £30 million alone, while Becao’s price-tag stands at around £17 million. Then again, a precarious contract situation could be sufficient to drive down that eye-watering price-tag. 

“Becao is a player who we want to keep. We want to extend his contract,” Udinese director Pierpaolo Marino tells the club’s official TV channel.  

“We’re in talks. But, at the moment, they are stalling.”

With Felipe arriving from Atletico Madrid and with Moussa Niakhate returning following months on the sidelines, Nottingham Forest’s defensive issues are clearing up.

Whether Everton step up their interest, meanwhile, could depend on the future of Wolves loanee Conor Coady. The England international is slipping down the pecking order since Dyche replaced Lampard at Goodison Park. 

Inter Milan and Scudetto-winners-in-waiting Napoli are also keen on Becao, Mondo Udinese add.

Could the 27-year-old former CSKA Moscow man be a potential replacement for Kim-Min Jae? Manchester United, Tottenham, Real Madrid and Liverpool are all eyeing the Korean colossus.