Everton spent a bucketload this summer. With so many departures, David Moyes knew he needed to get it right, bringing in players not just to add depth and stability but to provide the Blues fanbase with a new breed of football.
And the Scotsman appears to have got it right, with Everton competitive across the early weeks of the Premier League campaign and enjoying the flair and creativity of Jack Grealish and Iliman Ndiaye on the flanks.
But the crux of the club’s ongoing struggles for true fluency in the final third stems from their wastefulness and lack of authority in the final third, with the strikers flattering to deceive.
Why Everton's strikers are struggling
This summer, Everton waved goodbye to long-time frontman Dominic Calvert-Lewin. He left at the end of his contract and then signed for Leeds United. Letting him go was the right move.
Replacing the striker is Thierno Barry, who arrived from Villarreal for £27m. Powerful and progressive, the 23-year-old is also raw and lacks bite. As per Sofascore, he has missed two big chances in the Premier League, playing eight times and starting twice. He has not scored.
A shred of understanding can be taken from this; he’s a stranger in a strange land, after all, and must adapt to the pace and climate of the division.
However, Beto’s unconvincing performances are more concerning. The Bissau Guinean had enjoyed a rich run of form after Moyes replaced Sean Dyche in January.
The goals have since dried up and he is struggling at number nine, having converted one of his four big chances in the top flight this term and altogether struggling to produce strong showing around the goal.
It’s increasingly likely that the coffers will be opened in 2026, but the Friedkin Group may actually save millions through the promotion of an academy star who has caught the eye while out on loan.
The academy star who could replace Beto
Should Beto fail to recover his form in front of goal, Moyes will surely turn toward the transfer market. However, Martin Sherif is currently on the up, having made a promising start to life on loan with Rotherham.
Born in Liberia, Sherif is a Netherlands youth international, having been schooled with the Almere City academy before moving to Everton in 2019.
The teenager has scored twice across just three starts, averaging 4.8 successful duels and 1.5 tackles per game. This speaks of a tenacity to his play which could be perfect in Moyes’ system.
Everton need only look back at Anthony Gordon’s foundational loan spell with Preston North End in the Championship to be reminded of the value that can be found in allowing a talent like Sherif to foster his qualities.
Everton U18
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24 (8)
Everton U21
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10 (1)
Rotherham
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2 (1)
But Sherif is more than just what his direct involvements will tell you. After all, producer Chris Fountain has marvelled at Rotherham’s “absolute menace” this season, clearly boasting the brawn and bite to see him take the baton from Beto.
Moyes would not want to see a fast-rising Sherif sold in the same manner as Gordon, who left for Newcastle United for £45m in January 2023, but there’s an inevitability about interest in the young goalscorer, especially if he overcomes his current injury setback and sees out a prolific campaign in League One.
It’s important not to blow caution to the wind when profiling up-and-coming talents, and while Everton have cherished a number of graduates over the years, so too have there been many false dawns.
But Sherif has the physicality and sharpness in front of goal to test the waters on the banks of the Hill Dickinson over the coming years, and, with Barry young and anticipated to improve, it might just spell the end of Beto’s Everton career.