€30m fee
©IMAGO
On Wednesday, Everton revealed their second signing of the summer transfer window, confirming the acquisition of Villarreal center forward Thierno Barry. As reported by Transfermarkt, the Merseyside club will pay an initial €30 million for the promising striker, with potential bonuses pushing the total to €35 million. If Everton chooses to sell Barry in the future, Villarreal will receive 10% of the transfer fee. This initial amount has placed Barry as the club’s seventh most expensive signing, surpassing the €28.9 million they spent on Yannick Bolasie in 2016. If add-ons are considered, Barry could surpass Romelu Lukaku’s €35.4 million transfer from Chelsea and move into fourth place.
Everton’s total expenditure on summer signings has reached €45 million, following Carlos Alcaraz’s €15 million transfer from Flamengo. Given the size of the transfer fee and Barry’s less established profile in English football, both fans and critics are likely to raise questions about the club’s decision to invest heavily in the young forward. So, who is Barry, and why did David Moyes and his team choose to allocate a significant portion of their transfer budget for him?
Who is Thierno Barry?
Many Everton supporters might not be well-acquainted with Barry, as last season marked his first full campaign in one of Europe’s elite leagues. He made a €14 million move to Villarreal last summer after an impressive season at Swiss club Basel, where he netted 12 goals and provided five assists in 37 matches across all competitions. This was also his first season with Basel, having joined from Belgian side SK Beveren for just €3 million, where he scored 20 goals and assisted four times in 33 games. Barry has now made his fourth transfer in as many years and is poised to challenge himself in the Premier League.
“Though he faced challenges adapting at the start of the season, Barry significantly improved in the final months, totaling 11 goals and 4 assists—remarkable figures for a 22-year-old in his first major league season,” commented Transfermarkt’s Area Manager for Spain, Ivan Turmo. “He is a classic center-forward known for his physical presence, ability to exploit space, and aerial threat, making him suitable for English football given his youth and physical attributes, along with his performance in his first Villarreal season.”
Despite the promising stats, there are still lingering doubts about the transfer fee for the young striker. Much of this reluctance can be attributed to Villarreal’s desire to keep a key player for their Champions League aspirations. After all, the club recently sold Alexander Sørloth to Atletico Madrid and Nicolas Jackson to Chelsea in recent years, making this the third significant departure for the Yellow Submarine.
Villarreal CEO Roig Negueroles remarked on the hefty transfer fee, stating, “The club was not keen on letting go of a striker they considered essential for their Champions League project.” Turmo elaborated, highlighting that this move represents a lucrative deal for Villarreal, as they sell Barry for nearly double what they paid for him just a year prior. Such situations reveal how Villarreal has excelled in identifying talent, solidifying their status as a producer of top-notch strikers, with five of their seven most significant transfers being for forwards.
It remains to be seen whether Barry will adapt to the Premier League as successfully as Jackson has at Chelsea. However, there’s no denying that Everton has secured a promising striker who has consistently delivered across his last three teams. Should he replicate that success at Moyes’ side next season, the substantial transfer fee may soon be viewed as a worthwhile investment.
