Everton spent £27 million to recruit the services of France youth international Thierno Barry from Villarreal, and he has yet to hit the ground running at the Hill Dickinson Stadium club.
The 23-year-old has no goal or assist in 13 appearances for Everton and has yet to register a shot on target in over six hours of Premier League football.
Barry is concerned about his form for the Toffees and has been trying to learn from his countryman and fellow summer arrival Hugo Ekitike.
The Liverpool striker joined the Reds from Eintracht Frankfurt in a £69m deal and has bagged six goals and one assist in 16 appearances.
“We arrived at the same time and I like to see how they are adapting, the runs they are making,” the Everton forward told The Athletic why Ekitike and Newcastle United striker Nick Woltemade have been two reference points.
“I’ve played with some great forwards. Dieumerci Mbokani at Beveren, Albian Ajeti at Basel and Gerard Moreno and Ayoze Perez at Villarreal. I was the youngest of the three at Villarreal, but I played the most minutes.
“People say I’m in competition now with Beto, but I don’t see it like that. I’m in competition with myself, and if I prevail personally then I always have confidence I could do the job. That’s why I got a tattoo during my time at Basel: ‘Me against Me.’
“Whenever I have a difficult moment now, I look at that.”
Woltemade also joined Newcastle for £69m in the summer from Stuttgart and has hit the ground running at the St James’ Park club.
The 23-year-old Germany international has six goals in 16 games for the Magpies and has adapted well to the Premier League easily.
Barry knows he has what it takes to succeed in the English top-flight despite his underwhelming start at Everton.
Apart from learning by watching Ekitike and Woltemade, the Everton striker has also been spending more time in the gym and practising his finishing with the coaches after training sessions.
Barry scored 19 times and assisted four goals last season across 41 appearances in the Swiss Super League with Basel and in the Spanish top-flight, and he will fancy his chances of finally coming good with the Toffees.