On the face of it, Everton's summer transfer window has gone well so far, with the signings of Andre Gomes and Jonas Lossl.
After an impressive loan spell last season, Everton acted quickly to secure the signing of Gomes this summer, in what is a major coup for the Toffees.
However, as he was part of the team last season, their first XI hasn't really been strengthened yet, so more work needs to be done if they are to improve on last season.
In recent days Marco Silva's side have been linked with an ambitious move for former Chelsea striker Diego Costa, who currently plays for Atletico Madrid.
But, as he will cost a significant amount in both transfer fee and wages, it looks unlikely.
So, are there any alternatives to Diego Costa for Everton?
Someone who has similar attributes, but would cost less? We used Football Manager 2019 to find out.
Diego Costa alternatives
To find alternatives to Diego Costa for Everton, we need to use Football Manager 2019's 'similar players' function, which can be found by going on the the relevant player profile and using the comparison tab, under the compare with option.
The game then selects a few of the player' best attributes and uses the database to search the world for players who have similar values for these attributes, thus allowing us to see similar players.
Normally, your search is restricted by the strength of your scouting team, but we've used the in-game editor to unlock all the players in the search, so that we can provide the four best realistic alternatives.
Current ability: 162/200
Potential ability: 168/200
Age: 30
As you can see from Costa's profile, he has some great attributes.
In the player search, we put they had to be a natural striker and with attributes of at least:
Aggression - 15
Off the ball - 15
Work rate - 15
Finishing - 15
Determination - 15
Using this search, here are the four players who have similar attributes to Diego Costa, according to Football Manager 2019.
Alfredo Morelos - Rangers
Current ability: 135/200
Potential ability: 150/200
Age: 24
Morelos certainly has the aggression and work rate that Diego Costa does, with the Columbian constantly in trouble with referees, but he is an excellent forward option.
His determination, mixed with outstanding off the ball movement, work rate and strong finishing, make him a great alternative.
He's six years younger than Costa and far more 'get-able' than the Spaniard.
Andrea Belotti - Torino
Current ability: 150/200
Potential ability: 168/200
Age: 25
Belotti has a reputation as one of the best strikers in Europe right now, with the Italian scoring 70 goals in 148 appearances for Torino since he joined them in 2015.
He has pace, power, excellent off the ball movement, aggression and is an outstanding finisher, plus he's got ridiculous potential on Football Manager 2019, which suggests he could actually become a lot better than Costa in the long-term.
A fantastic alternative, but likely to be very expensive also.
Moussa Marega - Porto
Current ability: 139/200
Potential ability: 139/200
Age: 28
On the face of it, Marega has the attributes required to be a Costa alternative.
The Malian has the aggression, off the ball movement and determination you'd expect, plus excellent physical attributes, but his technical ability is sorely lacking compared to the others on this list.
His current ability is also fairly low on Football Manager 2019, and it suggests he's reached his peak too.
Marega is definitely an option, but he has weaknesses.
Ciro Immobile - Lazio
Current ability: 158/200
Potential ability: 160/200
Age: 29
Immobile is the oldest player on the list and perhaps the most developed.
In addition to all the attributes that make him Costa-like, Immobile has insane finishing ability, which make him a fantastic goalscorer.
But, at 29 years old he would still cost a fairly hefty sum to pry him from Lazio, making it a rather short-term investment.
A quality striker.
Best alternatives to Diego Costa for Everton according to Football Manager 2019:
- Andrea Belotti (Best all round and excellent potential)
- Ciro Immobile (Best finisher)
- Alfredo Morelos
-
Moussa Marega
