Everton have a long-standing admiration for former Mainz striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, a 28-year-old French centre-forward who is eager to depart Crystal Palace. The club would likely need to offload Beto before they could pursue a deal, owing to financial constraints and other squad priorities. A sale of Beto could lead to Everton moving for Mateta, for whom Crystal Palace are asking a valuation of around £35-40 million. The French international, who has 3 caps and 2 goals for his country, has a contract with Palace until June 2027 and has provided two assists in eight Premier League appearances this season. Mateta, whose current Transfermarkt value is €40.00m, has also attracted interest from other clubs; in January 2026, Juventus reportedly had bids of up to €33 million rejected, while Fenerbahçe was said to be willing to offer €35 million.