Beto could provide Everton with goals but he may struggle in the Premier League
Everton look set to add to their forward options this summer with the Toffees in advanced talks with Udinese over Beto, according to BBC Sport.
Shaman Hafez reported on Sunday (27 August) that Sean Dyche’s side were closing in on the 26-year-old striker in a deal that could be worth up to £30m as Everton desperately continue to look to add more goalscoring options to their ranks.
Although the Portuguese forward has hit double figures for the Serie A side in the last two seasons, he may not be the answer to all of the Toffees’ recent goalscoring woes, despite being a step in the right direction.
Last season Everton were the second lowest scorers in the Premier League, with only Wolves finding the net less often than the Toffees, with the main reason for the ineffectiveness in front of goal was the absence of Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
The additions of Beto and Youssef Chermiti will allow the Toffees to have a similar presence leading their line whether or not Calvert-Lewin is fit and available, with the Portuguese forwards both standing at around 6ft 4.
But on the ball, the underlying numbers of Beto do leave a lot to be desired, with the striker not being particularly great in the build-up and occasionally wasteful in front of goal, two characteristics Everton can’t afford to carry.
A look at Beto’s Fbref scouting report shows that he falls in the bottom 2% of forwards in Europe’s top five leagues for passes attempted per game, only managing an average of 12.46 per 90 minutes and an average of only 0.65 progressive passes per match.
This sees him lie in the bottom 16% of his positional peers in terms of assists per 90 and the bottom 25% for his pass completion rate, meaning he often gives away possession far too easily even with the limited passes he completes.
In front of goal, he falls in the 53rd percentile of non-penalty goals per 90 and reasonably impressive 67th percentile for non-penalty expected goals. The Toffees look to be securing a player who is a goalscorer but very little else.
Defensively, Beto does more than is expected of a striker falling in the top 11% of forwards for clearances per game and is an aerial threat both in attack and when near his own goal, but the worries continue about his effectiveness on the ball.
Where Everton are
The truth is a team in Everton’s position will not be able to go out and buy a proven goal scorer who is also able to contribute in the build-up, partly because of their recent form and partly because of the financial situation at Goodison Park.
As Dyche said himself to the BBC after the defeat to Wolves, “People still ask, why haven’t we signed two strikers? We haven’t got pots of gold, we are trying to construct deals.”
The Toffees would have liked to be in the same market as Manchester United and Liverpool this summer, but that just isn’t where they fall in the pyramid at the moment. Hopefully, Beto can provide the goals to secure their place in the Premier League and allow them to get closer to their former glory.
In other Everton news, there has been more financial drama at Goodison after MSP withdrew from investment talks