Everton transfer target was sent off on debut and abused by supporters before remarkable rise

Everton transfer target was sent off on debut and abused by supporters before remarkable rise

Thierno Barry, who is being linked with a transfer to Everton, has come a long way in a short space of time

Villarreal's Thierno Barry is currently playing for France in the UEFA European Under-21 Championship

Currently playing for France in the UEFA European Under-21 Championship in Slovakia, Everton-linked striker Thierno Barry has come a long way in a short space of time. Everton are ready to intensify their interest in the Villarreal forward Barry during a pivotal summer for the club, writes Paul Joyce in the Times.

The report states: “The 22-year-old is a leading target for David Moyes as he looks to reshape his squad. The Frenchman has a release clause of €40million (£34million).

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“He scored 11 goals in 35 La Liga games last season, having moved to Spain from the Swiss club Basel for £11.8million on a five-year deal in August. It is likely that Everton would try to negotiate that figure down given the amount of deals they must look to do before moving into their new 52,888-capacity Hill Dickinson Stadium on the banks of the River Mersey next season.”

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Barry came on as a 62nd minute substitute for Matthis Abline in France’s opening fixture of the tournament but despite being unable to provide a breakthrough in a goalless draw with Portugal in Trencin, where his side will play all their Group C matches, he earned positive reviews for his display. Goodison News quotes various outlets with Le Figaro stating: “Thierno Barry still made an interesting entrance, without managing to give the Bleuets the victory.”

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La Nouvelle Republique remarked: “After the break, the French looked much better. Particularly in attack, Gérald Baticle’s men finally showed more cohesion to create danger… the Bleuets, helped by the good entry of Barry.”

Meanwhile, So Foot said: “It was the new entrant Thierno Barry who was the first to hit the target of Samuel Soares with a powerful header from the penalty spot, perfectly saved by the Benfica goalkeeper.”

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Born in Lyon on October 21, 2002, 6ft 5in Barry is of Guinean descent and after youth team spells with local clubs Montchat Lyon and Saint-Priest, Barry, in 2021, he joined Sochaux-Montbeliard, but despite netting 10 goals in 22 games for their B team in Championnat National 3 – French football’s fifth tier – he never received a senior call-up. Instead, he has had to move abroad to forge his career and in the summer of 2022, he embarked on a trial with Belgian Challenger Pro League (second division) outfit Beveren and earned a two-year contract.

He’d net 20 times in 31 matches in the competition in 2022/23, which earned him a move to Swiss side Basel. While Switzerland is often portrayed as a calm and stable place due to its long-standing neutrality, emphasis on human rights, and focus on consensus-based decision-making, Barry’s time there – just shy of 14 months – was somewhat turbulent.

An article on Bluewin charted his rollercoaster ride. When signing for the most-successful Swiss club of the 21st century, Barry proclaimed: “My strengths as a striker are of course first and foremost scoring goals.”

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Villarreal coach Marcelino issues instructions to Thierno Barry against Sevilla on May 25, 2025 (Image: Jose Miguel Fernandez/NurPhoto via Getty Images )

The Frenchman endured a nightmare start at Basel by being sent off on his debut for picking up two yellow cards on 33 and 69 minutes and reduced to 10 men, his team succumbed to an 86th minute goal to lose 2-1 at St Gallen. Barry looked to be redeeming himself when on his home bow in his next game, a UEFA Europa League qualification second round tie against minnows Tobol Kostanay from Kazakhstan, when he fired the hosts ahead at St Jakob-Park with a left foot finish some 25 minutes into the contest.

However, after getting a let off in the 52nd minute when he conceded a penalty that was saved, he then gave away another spot-kick a mere four minutes later for a deliberate handball and was promptly shown a straight red card. This one was converted and Basel collapsed, losing 3-1 as they were also reduced to nine men and although they triumphed in the second leg in central Asia with Barry suspended, the 2-1 result was not enough, ensuring their return trip of over 9,000 miles was in vain.

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Despite Barry’s early strike in Europe before his second straight sending off and confident boast on his arrival , he failed to find the net in his first 18 matches in the Swiss Super League. On December 2, many made him the scapegoat after a 1-1 draw at bottom club Stade-Lausanne-Ouchy, even though he only came on as a substitute in the 85th minute as the young Frenchman missed two inviting opportunities to grab a winner and failed to give Basel some breathing space in what looked at the time like a relegation battle, given that at the time they had just one point more than their opponents.

The player’s faltering form saw him become the victim of online trolls and in addition to what Bluewin describe as “really nasty comments,” the club were told they should get rid of Barry as quickly as possible, even if they don’t get a penny for him. Basel responded with a statement condemning the comments, and Barry also posted on Instagram, writing, among other things: “Your hate will make me stronger, I know that.”

After finally breaking his league duck by bagging a brace – both right foot finishes – in a 3-1 victory away to Winterhur on January 30, the penny seemed to drop for Barry. He’d eventually finish his debut season in Switzerland with 12 goals in all competitions and after plundering eight in just four matches at the start of 2024/25: Doubles in a 3-2 loss at Lausanne and a 3-0 win at Grasshoppers plus the opener in a 6-0 thrashing away to Servette and then finally a first half hat-trick in an 8-0 romp at part-timers Subingen before being withdrawn at the interval, he was off to Villarreal on August 21 last year for €15million (£12.7m) plus add-ons, penning a five-year deal.

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Bluewin stated: “Yes, Barry has had a wild year. He came to FC Basel as a beacon of hope, was soon decried as a chance killer and labelled a scapegoat before he literally exploded and became the biggest goal machine in the league, attracting the interest of many clubs. Now the 21-year-old is moving to Villarreal, with FC Basel pocketing around CHF (Swiss Francs) 15 million from the transfer. A lot of money for a player that many fans would have preferred to get rid of immediately six months ago.”

For his part, Barry sincerely thanked his former teammates, the president, his coach and the fans – even if the latter was not love at first sight. He said: “Fortunately, God works in mysterious ways.”

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Apologising for his missteps, he expressed the wish: “I hope that in future, when people talk about me in Basel, they will only remember the positive things.” Little wonder, the player’s coach at Basel Fabio Celestini remarked that he believes Barry will have “a good career” as long as he does not allow himself any indiscipline.

Barry appears to have matured rapidly as both a person and a footballer though. Although he was booked four times in 37 matches for Villarreal in 2024/25, there were no more sendings off.

After handing fans of the Yellow Submarine an early Christmas present with a hat-trick in their 5-2 win at Leganes on December 22, three of his 19 goals in total for the campaign, his coach Marcelino observed: “He is a young lad, and this is his first experience in a major league. He is playing a lot of minutes, he has scored goals and today he was successful.

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“In the penalty area he is an important player due to his size and finishing. He is in his development period and we are satisfied.”

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