Beto’s difficult start at Fiorentina has made his €18m departure from Everton look costly on both sides. Fiorentina have yet to get the goals they expected, while Everton were left short of recognised strikers after a deadline-day move for Folarin Balogun fell through. That sequence has left both clubs with a problem they’d hoped the transfer would solve: finding dependable options at centre-forward.
That’s the awkward context behind Beto’s move. His Everton spell wasn’t defined by prolific scoring or widespread affection from supporters, but the club’s options narrowed when he left. Thierno Barry became David Moyes’ only recognised striker, and the squad has had to absorb the consequences of that failed recruitment attempt. A player can be a limited fit for one side and still leave a practical hole when he goes; Everton’s predicament is a reminder that squad depth matters even when a departing forward hasn’t won over the crowd.
Fiorentina’s attack lacks a replacement
Fiorentina are also dealing with an unresolved gap up front after Moise Kean’s departure. A report from Fiorentina Uno describes the club’s attack as one of the areas falling short of expectations, with Beto singled out as a primary concern. The issue is not simply whether he’s scored yet; it’s whether the qualities Fiorentina recruited him for are helping the attack function when he plays.
The numbers show how little he has played so far. Across 11 appearances for Everton and Fiorentina this season, Beto has started twice and logged 232 minutes. He has no goals and one assist. Nine appearances and 201 minutes have come at Fiorentina; his two Everton outings account for 31 minutes, with no goal contributions. Those totals point to a player still on the edge of the action, which makes it hard to judge his contribution from output alone.
Last season at Everton, he made 40 appearances, started 18 times and scored 10 goals with one assist in 1,757 minutes. That gave him 0.51 goals per 90 minutes. This season’s figure is zero, though his limited playing time makes the comparison a small sample rather than a settled verdict on his ability. The sharp drop in opportunity is as relevant as the lack of goals: a striker can’t build rhythm or demonstrate consistency if he’s only getting brief spells on the pitch.
Time to make the transfer work
Fiorentina recruited Beto for his physical presence and runs behind the defence. So far, those qualities haven’t translated into convincing performances, including when he has come off the bench. The manager has publicly defended him, but the report says supporters are losing patience. That gap between a coach’s public backing and the crowd’s response can grow quickly when a forward is expected to address an obvious weakness.
Sporting director Fabio Paratici now faces a difficult call: Beto cost €18m, yet his impact has been minimal. A quick reset elsewhere isn’t available this season because he has already played for Everton and Fiorentina. That leaves Fiorentina needing to make the current arrangement work, at least for now. The fee will inevitably shape how the transfer is judged, but it can’t make Beto’s next appearance more productive by itself.
There’s a player to recover: Beto showed promise at Udinese and had productive moments in England. For now, though, his Fiorentina spell has delivered one assist in 201 minutes and no goals. The immediate test is whether the club can turn those glimpses into a reliable contribution before the season’s remaining opportunities run out. A change in role, better service or simply a longer run of minutes might help, but the available information doesn’t establish which adjustment would make the difference.
What the numbers can—and can’t—tell us
This is more significant than it looks because the figures describe two connected problems: Beto’s limited output and his limited involvement. His one assist at Fiorentina is a contribution, but it hasn’t yet been accompanied by a goal, and his 201 minutes leave little room for a confident claim that his form is fixed. A per-90 rate can help compare players with different playing time, but it won’t explain why a coach has selected someone sparingly or whether a striker’s movement is creating useful space for teammates.
And this is the part most people overlook: the transfer is being assessed by two clubs with different needs. Everton can point to a forward who wasn’t a prolific scorer, while still facing a thinner group of recognised strikers after his exit. Fiorentina, meanwhile, need the signing to contribute in the present, not just offer a profile that looked useful on paper. The same move can therefore leave each side dissatisfied for different reasons.
If you’re working in this space, the lesson is familiar: signing a forward with a clear set of attributes only helps if the team can turn those attributes into chances and minutes. Beto’s physicality and runs behind the defence may still suit Fiorentina, but the early returns haven’t made the case for him. A narrow window. The club has to find a practical way to give him opportunities while competing for results, and he has to show enough in those opportunities to earn more.
The next stretch will shape the verdict
Fiorentina’s next decision is less about defending the transfer fee than deciding how to use the player they have. If Beto remains a substitute, his chances to change the story will stay limited; if he gets more time, the club will have a clearer read on whether his strengths can address the attack’s needs. Neither path guarantees an answer. What this means for you as a reader is that the current totals should be treated as a warning sign, not a final assessment of his ability.
That said, patience has a cost when a team is already short of goals. Fiorentina can’t rely on reputation or past promise indefinitely, and Beto can’t expect the fee to shield him from scrutiny. The season is still ongoing, so there’s room for the picture to change. For now, the transfer has created pressure at both ends: Everton must manage a thin striker group, and Fiorentina need to show that their investment can become a working part of the attack.
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