In their attempts to secure success in the Premier League, Everton have spent a small fortune in recent years, but not all of their investments have been worthwhile.
The Toffees have now gone half a decade without a top-half finish in England’s top-flight, with David Moyes the latest manager to try and bring the glory days back to the blue side of Merseyside.
He’s managed to achieve an unbeaten start to the 2026/27 campaign, and have started to look like a side who are capable of fighting for a European spot.
However, if they are to be successful during the current campaign, the manager will have to do it without one player who was finally sold during the summer window.
Why Everton made the right decision selling Beto this summer
In an attempt to generate more funds to improve the senior ranks, the Everton hierarchy decided to finally cash in on centre-forward Beto after his unsuccessful spell on Merseyside.
The 28-year-old arrived for a deal worth a reported £30m in the summer of 2023, with high hopes placed on the striker to provide the goods within attacking areas.
However, during his 113 appearances for the Toffees, the Guinea-Bissau international could only find the net 25 times – an average of once every four and a half matches.
Such a record was undoubtedly way below the levels expected of the big-money addition, with Beto even falling down the pecking order after Thierno Barry’s arrival.
He only started 17 out of a possible 38 league games last term, which no doubt contributed to his inability to provide the goods in front of goal for Moyes’ men.
|
Most big chances missed for Everton since 2024 |
|
|---|---|
|
Player |
Tally |
|
Beto |
22 |
|
Thierno Barry |
16 |
|
Dominic Calvert-Lewin |
14 |
|
Jack Grealish |
5 |
|
Abdoulaye Doucouré |
4 |
|
Dwight McNeil |
3 |
|
Iliman Ndiaye |
3 |
Given his struggles, Everton sold the attacker for a reported £14m this summer, which resulted in the hierarchy making over a 50% loss on their original investment.
On the face of it, such a sale may have been poor business, but there’s no denying the club would have lost more money had they kept hold of the attacker any longer.
Why one Everton player needs to receive the Beto treatment
If Everton are to be successful in the years ahead, the hierarchy will need to be brutal with their dealings and offload a variety of other members of the senior squad.
Their lack of success over recent years is clear that the Toffees are in need of continued investment, but it may not be possible unless funds are raised from players already on the books.
The recent summer window allowed for just shy of £100m worth of sales being brought into the club, but added departures still need to be sanctioned in the near future.
Centre-back Michael Keane is one player who should fall into such a category, with the defender a player who is no longer needed within Moyes’ senior ranks.
The 33-year-old has struggled for regular minutes during the 2026/27 campaign, with his only outings to date both coming in the Carabao Cup against Wolves and Preston.
He’s yet to feature for a minute in the Premier League this term, as Moyes seemingly prefers a duo of Jarrad Branthwaite and James Tarkowski at the heart of his backline.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles’ arrival has also allowed for Jake O’Brien to shift back to a more familiar centre/back role – subsequently pushing Keane further down the pecking order.
Even when he featured for the Toffees last season, the former Burnley man struggled to deliver, which should see the hierarchy cash in on the Englishman after just seven games of the new season.
Keane only averaged 4.3 line-breaking passes per 90 last season, which saw him rank below 90% of players in position across the Premier League – highlighting his inability to build from the back.
Even without the ball, the experienced man struggled to deliver, as seen by his tally of just 1.2 tackles and ball recoveries made throughout 2025/26.
Both of the aforementioned figures ranked him in the bottom 70% of players across Europe, which further showcases his struggles at preventing the opposition from impressing.
Given his struggles last year and lack of minutes this time around, it’s clear that the defender is no longer part of the manager’s plans at the Hill Dickinson.
As a result, Moyes should certainly be looking to offload the Englishman at the next available opportunity and allow him to move on – just as he did with Beto.
