Rumours swirled in December about a possible winter move between Merseyside and Rome. Calciomercato first broke the news that AS Roma had their eye on Everton striker Beto. The Italian giants saw the Portuguese forward as a solid option to boost their attack.

Conversations quickly turned into a potential swap deal. This involved Ukrainian international Artem Dovbyk moving the other way. Dovbyk joined Roma from Girona with a big reputation. Even so, Roma felt they could sell him, and West Ham United also showed interest.

The Friedkin Group’s shared ownership of both clubs made talks much easier at first. This connection gave fans hope that a deal would go through smoothly. Representatives got in touch, and a trade made sense for two teams struggling to score goals. Il Messaggero, however, has now dampened those hopes.

Their latest update confirms that while Roma offered the 28-year-old Dovbyk to several European clubs, circumstances took a turn for the worse. During Roma’s Europa League match against Panathinaikos, the striker picked up a serious injury. That injury stopped everything in its tracks.

So, Il Messaggero says a deal is now ‘virtually impossible.’ The window has slammed shut. The player now has to...