Beto left Everton after failing to become a recognised first-choice in England. However, so far, his return to Italy isn’t going to plan.
The Toffees paid €30m to sign the striker back in the summer of 2023. While he did score 25 times in 113 appearances in all competitions, he was never a regular starter for the Toffees.
His last season at Everton saw him often play second-fiddle to Thierno Barry, prompting him to seek an exit from the Merseyside club.
As a result, Fiorentina brought him in for €18m late in the summer transfer window. Beto came in as a replacement for Moise Kean, who sealed a transfer to Como, but the ex-Udinese striker is struggling to make a mark at the Artemio Franchi.
Competition not helping
Former Fiorentina defender Fabrizio Bern spoke on Radio FirenzeViola after La Viola’s defeat to Genoa at the weekend.
Criticising several players, he didn’t hold back from expressing his views about the ex-Everton man. He compared him to Arthur Cabral, who struggled in Florence after being signed a replacement for Dusan Vlahovic.
Bern said: “I still haven’t understood what kind of player [Christ] Oulai is: some say he’s the new Kanté, others say he’s a [Nicolo] Fagioli copy, I still can’t quite put my finger on him.”
“And I also include Beto, who is unusable in these conditions; he reminds me of the worst Cabral.”
Doubts around Beto don’t end there, as today’s Quotidiano Sportivo add more details to his ongoing struggles.
They believe the striker ‘isn’t up to scratch’ and doesn’t look like someone who can start for Fiorentina. While Paolo Vanoli trusts him, Beto appears to be far from his best at the club.
Competition from Mateo Pellegrino isn’t helping. The Argentine has scored three times already and is showing a better ability to get involved in the team’s build-up.
Beto
Senior club career stats
| Club | Apps | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| União de Tires* 2015–2018 |
25 | 4 | — |
| Olímpico Montijo 2018–2019 |
36 | 21 | — |
| Portimonense 2019–2021 |
47 | 13 | 2 |
| Udinese 2021–2023 |
65 | 22 | 2 |
| Everton 2023–2026 |
113 | 25 | 3 |
| Fiorentina 2026–present |
5 | 0 | 1 |
| Recorded total* | 291 | 85 | 8** |
Excludes youth/reserve matches, internationals and friendlies.
*União de Tires figures reflect available records; early regional-league coverage may be incomplete.
**Assists total covers Portimonense, Udinese, Everton and Fiorentina only.
A dash means unavailable, not zero.
Sources: Opta Analyst and compiled early-career records.
Checked: 13 October 2026.
Our take: Player just needs time
Beto joined Fiorentina quite late in the window. This doesn’t help players, especially as he has had to replace an influential player like Kean immediately. That expectation is somewhat unrealistic, also because La Viola themselves started the season poorly.
On top of that, there is an argument to be made that Fiorentina didn’t exactly need the ex-Everton man either. Pellegrino was first-choice at Parma and is starting regularly.
