
Everton Sign Villarreal Striker Thierno Barry for £27m
Everton Sign Villarreal Striker Thierno Barry for £27m
Everton have completed the signing of France Under-21 striker Thierno Barry from Villarreal in a deal worth £27m.
The 22-year-old has signed a four-year contract at Goodison Park, keeping him at the club until June 2029.
Barry had a £34.5m release clause in his Villarreal contract, but Everton successfully negotiated a reduced fee for the highly-rated forward.
Barry scored 11 goals and registered four assists in 38 appearances last season, helping Villarreal to a fifth-place finish in La Liga and Champions League qualification.
🗣️ “I’m very happy. It’s very exciting to be here. Everton is a big club in the Premier League, with a great history. I grew up watching players like Wayne Rooney and Romelu Lukaku here. Now I want to follow in their footsteps,” Barry told Evertontv.
Barry arrives as a replacement for Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who departed Everton at the end of his contract, and Armando Broja, whose loan deal was not made permanent.
Barry’s Rapid Rise Through Europe
Barry’s move to the Premier League caps a remarkable rise for the 6ft 5in striker.
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2022: Left French side Sochaux to join Belgian second-tier club Beveren.
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2023: Moved to FC Basel in Switzerland after scoring 20 goals in 28 starts.
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2024: Signed for Villarreal in a £13m deal and scored 11 goals in La Liga.
Barry was one of just a handful of under-23 players to score 10+ goals in Europe’s top five leagues last season, joining the likes of PSG’s Bradley Barcola and Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko.
What Barry Brings to Everton
The towering forward is known for his aerial dominance:
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66.7% aerial duel success rate (2nd among forwards in Europe’s major leagues last season).
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A huge threat on crosses – an area where Everton struggled, scoring just 3 goals from open-play crosses in 2024-25.
Manager David Moyes, who has returned to Goodison Park for a second spell, is known for favoring direct football and crossing opportunities. Barry’s profile fits perfectly into that style.
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