Everton transfer news: '£30.3m deal in place’ to sign La Liga striker after Dominic Calvert-Lewin exit

Premier League side Everton are reportedly closing in on the signing of Villarreal striker Thierno Barry.

Manager David Moyes is on the lookout for a new centre-forward following the departure of Dominic Calvert-Lewin upon the expiration of his contract on June 30, after nine years on the blue side of Merseyside.

Twenty-two-year-old Barry has emerged as one of the Toffees' leading targets and has been linked with a big-money move to the club’s new Hill Dickinson Stadium throughout the summer.

According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, a deal is now in place for Everton to sign Barry from Villarreal for €35m (£30.3m) plus add-ons.

Romano adds that Barry was also wanted by ‘more’ Premier League clubs, but the Toffees appear to have won the race for his signature.

Who is Everton-bound striker Thierno Barry?

Born in Lyon, Barry spent time in the academies of Saint-Priest and Toulon before joining Sochaux where he scored 10 goals in 22 games for the club’s B team.

Barry did not make a single senior appearance for Sochaux, though, and after one season with the club, he made the switch to Belgium in 2022, signing for second-tier outfit SK Beveren where he scored an impressive 20 goals in 33 appearances.

Standing at 6ft 5in tall, Barry’s prolific form caught the attention of Swiss giants Basel, who spent around €3m to sign the striker in July 2023.

Barry did not make the brightest of starts with Basel, as he was sent off in each of his first two appearances for the club, but he made amends as he went on to score 20 goals in 41 matches across all competitions in the 2023-24 campaign.

The eight-cap France Under-21 international was then persuaded to make the move to Villarreal last summer for around €14m and he found the net 11 times in 37 La Liga games to help the Yellow Submarine finish fifth and qualify for the Champions League.

With a move to Everton now edging closer, Barry is set to switch clubs for the fourth successive year in his fledgling career and is expected to undergo a medical before finalising his move to Merseyside.

Barry could soon become Everton’s second signing of the summer following confirmation of Charly Alcaraz’s permanent move at the end of May, and he would likely rival Beto, Iliman Ndiaye and Youssef Chermiti for a place up front in Moyes’s lineup.

Written by
Oliver Thomas