Dominic Calvert-Lewin's Everton future is still unresolved, but that saga will have no bearing on David Moyes' pursuit of a new centre-forward to take to the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Moyes took the reins from the beleaguered Sean Dyche in January and steered Everton toward a comfortable 13th-place finish, bagging 48 points.
Everton manager David Moyes
But scoring goals has always been the crux of Everton's wider problems, and that's where the Toffees boss wants to make improvements this summer.
Everton approach club for new striker
According to Spanish outlet Cadena Ser, Villarreal’s Thierno Barry has been added to Everton's shortlist, with the Toffees believed to have made an approach after asking about his situation.
This comes amid the Merseysiders missing out on Liam Delap, who has signed for Chelsea in a £30m deal.
Barry, meanwhile, has club-hopped for two successive years and could be on the move once again, with a €40m (£34m) release clause in his contract.
Villarreal's Thierno Barry
However, the Yellow Submarine are keen to keep hold of their man. That said, The Friedkin Group were willing to green-light a move for Delap, and could now turn to Barry instead, with Villarreal sure to evaluate offers if their clause is indeed met.
What Thierno Barry would bring to Everton
Standing at 6 foot 4, Barry is a tall and powerful frontman whose efforts over the past several years have spoke of incremental progress.
Villarreal's Thierno Barry-1
Hailed for his "menacing" profile by talent scout Antonio Mango, the 22-year-old Barry appears to be the perfect kind of player for a Moyes system, having won 5.1 duels per La Liga game this term, as per Sofascore.
Indeed, FBref record Barry to rank among the top 1% of centre-forwards across Europe's top five leagues this season for percentage of aerial battles won (67.3%) per 90, furthering the argument that he's the man for the job.
He's not quite so progressive a ball carrier as Delap, who ranks among the top 13% of forwards across Europe for progressive carries and the top 7% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref, but he's every bit as brutish a talisman.
Thierno Barry - League Stats by Season
Season
24/25 - Villarreal
24/25 - Basel
22/23 - Basel
22/23 - Beveren
Data via Sofascore
Barry began life on the senior stage prolifically indeed, although his term with Beveren was contested in the second tier of Belgian football. In any case, he's showcased an exciting growth that could now be translated to life in the Premier League.
Delap, similarly, landed when making the big jump, having enjoyed a decent breakthrough campaign in the Championship with Hull City last year, scoring eight goals and adding two assists across 31 games for the Tigers.
Liam-Delap
However, he's only gone from strength to strength across the past year, unable to prevent Ipswich Town's relegation but impressing with a 12-goal return across 32 starts.
Barry, with his strength and confidence, might just prove to follow in Delap's footsteps, even becoming a better version of the English talent. The Frenchman has a higher release clause, after all, while his 20 league goal involvements for 2024/25 ranked him ahead of Delap's own return of 14.
There would be an element of risk in bringing a young and unproven talent over to Merseyside, but Everton appear to have turned a corner over the past six months, and if Moyes gets this one right, it could make the Toffees faithful forget all about Delap.
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