Belgian clubs have been accused of sleeping on the job, ultimately costing them incoming Everton striker Thierno Barry.
That’s at least according to one of the men who discovered him for SK Beveren, who insists “Belgian clubs were asleep” and not paying enough attention to the Everton target. His comments come in [an article from Het Nieuwsblad](https://www.nieuwsblad.be/sport/voetbal/belgische-clubs-lagen-te-slapen-twee-jaar-geleden-bij-beveren-nu-gaat-thierno-barry-voor-35-miljoen-naar-everton/75500054.html) looking at the striker.
Barry is expected to complete a €35m move to Everton in the coming days after a deal was struck with Villarreal for him. He is currently in Miami awaiting the completion of the deal.
It will be the next big step for the 22-year-old striker, who only joined the Spanish side from Basel last season but is now on his way to the Premier League in a big-money deal.
He started his career in France with SC Toulon U19’s and then FC Sochaux B before moving to SK Beveren in 2022 on a free transfer. A year later he joined Basel, a year after that he joined Villarreal in a €14m deal and now he’s on his way to Everton for €35m.
Barry will be the Toffees fourth most expensive signing ever, costing the same as Romelu Lukaku. It’s an impressive figure for a player who was in the Challenger Pro League two years ago, and the feeling is Belgium have missed out.
Beveren, at least, secured a fee for him, and the good news for Everton is that they’re getting a player Barcelona were once interested in too. That’s according to Jordi Condom, who was sporting director at the time.
_“A scout from Barcelona called me before his transfer to Villarreal, because he might be interesting for their second team. But nobody expected this evolution,”_ he said.
_“I even had my doubts whether he would succeed in La Liga, but he scored his goals there too. Now, the Belgian clubs were asleep._
_“With his speed and strength, he was perfect for the Belgian competition, where the game often goes up and down. I never understood why no first division club tried to buy him from Beveren at the time.”_