Credit: Imago

Daniel Davis

Tue 14 April 2026 12:10, UK

Beto is perhaps fortunate to have been given a second chance at Everton.

The striker has been guilty of too many false dawns since arriving on Merseyside back in August 2023, to the extent that David Moyes would have sold him on at least two occasions if he’d had his way. Fortunately for him and the manager, he looks to have turned a corner.

According to The Athletic‘s Patrick Boyland, Moyes is likely to look to sign a new frontman at the end of the season, with both Beto and Thierno Barry blowing hot and cold. But the former will know that he is more likely to make way, and is determined to fight for his career.

Having scored against Brentford at the weekend and had a hand in all three goals in the win against Chelsea before the international break, the 28-year-old has registered four goal involvements in his last two games. He looks like a man reborn, but must now be consistent.

With Everton knocking on the door of the Champions League, Beto will play a crucial part in their defining run-in, but he looks to have clicked into top gear at just the right time.

How has Beto transformed Everton fate?

Beto was linked with a move to Juventus in January, but a loan swoop was rejected. That might have raised eyebrows, but not for those who have regularly watched him at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Supporters have seen him tirelessly go from strength to strength.

Just compare him to the ace who first joined the club. He toiled for his first 16 months, scoring only three Premier League goals in his first season under Sean Dyche. Beto had just one to his name in his sophomore campaign when Moyes was appointed in January 2025.

The Scot inherited a difficult challenge in the form of the No 9. Beto admitted the intensity and physicality of the Premier League had “killed” him, culminating in a torturously slow start. This, in turn, dented his confidence, a slippery slope for any top-flight newcomer.

Only an injury to Dominic Calvert-Lewin against Brighton kept him at the club, with Moyes given little choice but to thrust him into the firing line. He scored important goals against Leicester, Liverpool, Crystal Palace and Manchester United as Everton survived the drop.

That, though, was false dawn one.

His best form on Merseyside has come in fits and starts, preventing Moyes from fully putting his trust in him. But he will hope his heroics against Chelsea and Brentford in quick succession prove he is getting there, even if he remains bafflingly – and brilliantly – raw.

For now, he continues to hold the edge over Barry courtesy of his output, while he is also more used to Moyes’ approach. The Scot likes to use an archetypal, no-nonsense striker to hold the ball up, and against Brentford last time out, Beto did just that, proving a real handful.

According to Sofascore, he won two of his three aerial duels at the Gtech Community Stadium and also completed 11 of his 14 passes, inviting his team-mates to push on.

He also emphatically proved that he boasts both brains and brawn. His fourth goal in his last five matches stemmed from classic centre-forward movement and an unerring finish to boot, with his dart off Sepp van den Berg and header showcasing his ability.

It was far from an easy chance, Beto having had to step back and crane his neck to guide home the cross. These predatory instincts will be crucial in this top-five chase.

Never say die for Beto

Beto realised at a very early age that he was better than most of his peers. At the age of nine, his mother relented and allowed him to play football at weekends.

He spent his developmental years with Uniao Tires and Benfica in Portugal, but after his career threatened to peter out, he took on shifts at KFC. He also worked cutting trees in a woodland, a job he credited as giving him the humility required to thrive at the top level.

Moyes will know that Beto is different to traditional No 9s. He relishes contact, wanting to bruise defenders and catch them off guard. While he has been unable to stamp his authority on the Premier League for much of his stint in England, there are signs that this is changing.

His improvement owes much to his hard work in training. He has been known to stay behind after drills to continue practising, to the extent that he has to be politely asked to stop.

This attitude has helped him build up some sorely needed momentum at Everton, but now he must replicate these heroics across the remaining six matches.

His future beyond the summer may well depend on it.

Updated 24/7 with expert analysis from the heart of Goodison Park.