French striker Thierno Barry set to join Everton from Villarreal | OneFootball

Villarreal striker Thierno Barry is set to join Everton after both clubs reached an agreement over a summer transfer deal, according to Italian transfer expert and journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The 22-year-old will be moving to the Toffees for an initial €35 million, picking them ahead of other Premier League suitors in a huge boost for Everton manager David Moyes.

The Hill Dickinson Stadium club need a striker following the departure of English striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin last month, and Barry will be coming in as a direct replacement.

He notched 19 goals and four assists in 41 appearances last season, scoring eight times for Swiss Super League club Basel in four games before moving to the La Liga club in August, where he ended his debut campaign in the Spanish top-flight with 11 goals in 37 games.

The France youth international will fancy his chances of hitting the ground running at Everton given his style of play, and he has the potential to become a top Premier League striker under the tutelage of Moyes.

Barry had a €40m release clause that Villarreal wanted suitors to activate before signing him, but the Toffees always wanted to sign him for slightly lesser and it appears they have managed to get that over the line.

Moyes saw 11 players leave at the end of last season and will need to make plenty of quality recruitment this summer if Everton want to finish in the top-half of the Premier League table next term.

Charly Alcaraz has been signed permanently from Flamengo following his impressive loan spell last term, while Leeds United attacker Jack Harrison could be brought back to the Merseyside club after successive loan spells.

Adding Barry to the squad could prove to be a smart decision going forward as he still has plenty of time to grow into a top player, and he will be desperate to start proving himself immediately as he eyes a spot in the star-studded French national team at the 2026 World Cup.