Thierno Barry is travelling to Merseyside as Everton look to complete a move for the Villarreal striker.
Barry has been on holiday in Miami after his participation in the Under-21 European Championship with France, but has now been given permission to travel to England to undergo a medical.
The fee is expected to be an initial €32m, plus bonuses.
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Everton have been looking to strengthen their forward options after the departure of Dominic Calvert-Lewin on a free transfer last month.
Barry would be their second signing of the summer after the permanent addition of Carlos Alcaraz from Flamengo at the end of his successful loan.
The Athletic reported in June that talks were ongoing between Villarreal and Everton, with Barry being targeted by head coach David Moyes to compete with Beto.
Everton were reluctant to trigger Barry’s €40million (£34.1m) release clause and negotiations were complicated by his participation in the U21 Euros.
The Merseyside club only scored 42 goals in 38 league games last season, the lowest of any of the 17 clubs that were not relegated, despite finishing 23 points above the relegation zone in 13th.
Calvert-Lewin left the club as a free agent at the end of his contract this summer, parting ways after nine years and 71 goals.
Barry, 22, joined Villarreal on a five-year deal from Swiss club Basel last summer after spending his youth career at various French clubs.
The forward registered 11 goals in 37 appearances in his first campaign in Spain as Villarreal qualified for the Champions League in 2025-26 with a fifth-placed finish in La Liga.
Barry featured in every game for France at this summer’s U21 Euros, making one start and scoring once as France reached the semi-final. Barry has made eight appearances total for the youth national side and is yet to break into the senior team.
Proactive Barry took La Liga by storm
Analysis by Thom Harris
Barry is tall, quick, and relentless in his running. Only one player across Europe’s top seven leagues — Benfica’s Vangelis Pavlidis — has made more runs in behind per 30 minutes of team possession in 2024-25, illustrating Barry’s eagerness to attack whenever his team has the ball.
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Barry is strong in the air too — only two La Liga forwards have taken more headed shots than him since he joined from Basel last summer — but there is an element of chaos to the 22-year-old’s all-action game. He often opts for power over accuracy in front of goal, even taking to social media to apologise to playmaker Alex Baena after a 2-1 win over Real Valladolid for not converting all of the chances he slid his way.
When he gets it right, however, Barry is difficult to stop. This thumping volley away at Getafe highlights his ability to hold up the ball, as he scraps with full-back Juan Iglesias and barges past two more in midfield before instantly looking to stretch the defensive line. He gets on the end of Ayoze Perez’s chipped pass and smashes home first time.
Por la jugada. Por la asistencia. Por el remate. Lo de @Barry29Thierno es un golazo 😮💨#GetafeVillarreal | #LaLigaHighlights pic.twitter.com/tlLoHD8sPM
— Villarreal CF (@VillarrealCF) April 1, 2025
Barry’s tally of 11 goals in his first La Liga season is strong, the quantity and the variety of chances falling his way a direct result of his head-on approach.
(Photo: Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images)
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