Everton sent a scout to watch FC Midtjylland striker Franculino Dju score his 13th goal in 14 Danish Superliga games.
According to Danish outlet Bold, Everton scouts joined Inter, Bayern Munich, Real Betis, Stuttgart and Trabzonspor also attended the 1-1 draw with AGF to move them to second in the table.
Everton have been linked with the Guinea-Bissau striker, who is an international teammate of Beto, and rumours of a fee of around £17.5m have also been listed by Danish media.
Franculino played in the Benfica youth academy for four years before moving to Scandinavia and is a different type of striker to Beto and Thierno Barry. At six foot tall he is slightly smaller than Everton’s current striking options but he is a more versatile attacker with the ability to play on the wing as well as up front.
Known for his pacey attacks and ability to get behind a defence, he is also a striker who likes to press with a high intensity, something that will appeal to Everton manager David Moyes.
While links to Franculino are still quite vague it would make sense that Everton are seeking more talent in Scandinavia after hiring part time scout Ole Nielsen to cover the territory last year. Neilson signed a two-year contract and splits his duties between Everton and Norwegian side SK Brann. He is also involved in talent identification for the Danish FA.
Neilsen was previously at Everton in 2017/18 and was rehired by in 2024 by then Head of Scouting Dan Purdy, who left the club to join outgoing Director of Football Kevin Thelwell at Rangers this summer.
Neilsen said at the time: “Since I stopped in 2018, I have kept in touch with Dan Purdy, who is now Head of Recruitment. In the world of football, it’s all about networking. We have kept in touch and had a good cooperation when I was there the first time. I have helped them occasionally when he has asked about some players quite informally, and then he has helped me with some contacts at other clubs.
“An opportunity arose where they want a little more focus on Scandinavia, and he [Purdy] thought I was the right one for it.”
Everton fans will get to take a closer look at Franculino when Midtjylland take on Celtic in the Europa League on Thursday 6 November.