Everton Confirm Signing of Thierno Barry!

Everton has completed the signing of French striker Thierno Barry from La Liga side Villarreal CF for a fee reported around the figure of £27 million. Although only 22 years of age, the 1.95 m attacker has certainly certified himself as a prospect in the footballing world, with this move to the Toffees being an opportunity to improve to a whole new level.

It was only three years ago Barry was playing in the fifth tier of French football for Sochaux’s reserve side, and although he scored on frequent occasions, 10 goals in 22, the Lyon-born player never found himself playing for the first team and that summer decided to leave to move to Belgium.

During the 2022-23 season in the Challenger Pro League, the second-tier league in Belgium, Barry shone again, claiming 20 goals in 33 appearances for Beveren before moving to Basel in the Swiss Super League. This time staying for a lot longer than the other two previous clubs Barry was at, surprisingly one season at a small proportion of the next. Over the 41 times playing for Basel, Barry managed to score 20 goals, including scoring his first goal for the club in the UEFA Europa Conference League qualifying round before getting sent off in the same game in a 3-1 defeat to Tobol, a team from Kazakhstan.

His next move would open up a world of opportunities for the French striker, as a slice of European football awaited Thierno Barry, as on 21st August 2024, Barry signed a long-term five-year deal for La Liga giants Villarreal CF. Alexander Sorloth was Villarreal’ main striker, and due to the fact the Norwegian international left to join Atletico Madrid that summer, the Yellow Submarines were without a centrepiece. In an attempt to solve their issues, manager Marcelino Garcia Toral brought in Thierno Barry for a reported fee of around £12m.

Barry contains a lot of similar traits to Sorloth: physicality, height, and overall size, meaning the direct replacement was not extremely different. Over the past year, since joining, the outcome of the signing has been incredible, and the stats prove just that. 11 goals during the 2024-25 season. From analytic reports and data, Barry can be seen to be a fantastic number 9. One of the fantastic moments from an Opta Analyst report on the player is his first-time finishing. All of his 10 goals in the Spanish first division last season came from first-time finishes, showcasing quick agility and amazing positional awareness.

However, questions have been asked regarding the huge step up to the Premier League, which is a lot more fast-paced and physical than La Liga. Although it seems physicality won’t be an issue, the lack of clear-cut chances created by Everton last season may be an issue, although a huge argument is that the statistics cover a range of the season, where the Blues were managed by Sean Dyche, whose style of football paired with the lack of overall quality meant the Toffees struggled to make opportunities. From the same Opta report, Everton created an xG total of 40.8, and apart from non-penalties and the three relegated clubs, that was the lowest in the league.

It is clear to see every club Thierno Barry has transferred to has been a success, and whether this run of form will continue at Everton is just a question of time!

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