Everton have reached an agreement in principle to sign Thierno Barry from Villarreal for an initial £28M after weeks of negotiations.
Softfootball understands that Barry Villarreal’s contract is reported to contain a €40M release clause, but Everton have worked hard in recent weeks to bring this down to €35M plus future add-ons.
The France U21 international has been subject to enquiries from several Premier League clubs over the last six months, including the likes of Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Brentford and Brighton & Hove Albion.
The 22-year-old who scored 11 LaLiga goals last season and featured for France at the Under-21 European Championship this summer in Slovakia will sign a four-year contract and will be a replacement for Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Barry was in an elite group of players aged under 23 to score 10 or more goals in Europe’s top five leagues this season. Other players in this category are RB Leipzig’s in-demand Benjamin Sesko, Paris St-Germain’s Bradley Barcola, and Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike, who are all wanted by top European clubs this summer.
A new striker is a priority for Moyes as he oversees a major overhaul of the Everton squad this summer, and Barry seems to be the perfect option to lead his front line.
Everton are still in the market for other versatile attackers, with a particular focus on wingers. Liverpool’s Ben Doak and Manchester City’s Jack Grealish have also been linked to the side and could potentially be setting up Barry in the new campaign as transfer rumours continue to crop up. Barry’s move is yet to be confirmed by the club, but journalist Fabrizio Romano claims that;
“Everton have prepared all documents for Thierno Barry with Villarreal, agreement confirmed. He’s the new striker for David Moyes.”
Recall, Softfootball had previously reported that Branthwaite is set to stay as Everton nears a long-term contract.
Everton are reportedly finalising a long-term deal with Jarrad Branthwaite, dealing a major setback to clubs eyeing his signature this summer. The 23-year-old centre-back has been at the centre of intense interest from top Premier League sides, including Manchester United and Chelsea.
Despite having two years remaining on his current contract—plus a one-year extension option—Everton are keen to shut down transfer speculation by offering Branthwaite an improved five-year deal that would extend his stay until 2030.
