Thierno Barry pens emotional farewell ahead of Everton transfer announcement
Everton are ready to confirm the signing of Villarreal star Thierno Barry, and the move is likely to be completed on Wednesday.
Barry was targeted as a long-term striker who could also make an immediate impact, with his medical and contract signing on Tuesday.
Everton need more firepower upfront, and have moved quickly to beat other interested parties to sign the Frenchman.
The 22-year-old became a popular figure at Villarreal, and as he prepares to move to the Hill Dickinson Stadium, he has now bid farewell to the Yellow Submarine.
Barry says goodbye to Villarreal ahead of Everton move
The France under-21 striker will now trade La Liga for the Premier League as he completes his move to Everton, and there is plenty of excitement over his long-term potential.
Although Barry only moved to Villarreal from FC Basel last year, he helped them qualify for the Champions League, and fans were eager to keep him for another season.
Everton have agreed a total package of around £34.4 million with Villarreal to sign the attacker, which fell slightly below his release clause, but still represents a good profit for the Spanish side.
Barry has now taken to Instagram to pen a farewell message ahead of an announcement at Everton, in which he thanked manager Marcelino, as well as the Villarreal fanbase.
“It has been a great honour to have worn this shirt. Thank you for the love you’ve given me since day one, with that beautiful memory of my first goal in the stadium. That’s what gave me the strength to go out fighting every weekend for you,” Barry posted.
“I want to thank my teammates for letting me live an incredible year, full of joy and wonderful people I’ve met within the club and the team.
“I thank the mister for trusting me from the first phone call we had, which convinced me to come to Villarreal. Thanks to him, I’ve progressed as a player and as a person, and now I even speak a little Spanish.
“It’s been a crazy adventure that has led us to qualifying for the Champions League, and I hope the team goes very far in this competition. See you later.”
Everton fans need to be patient with Barry
Some are apprehensive over the immediate impact Barry could make next season, given Everton’s urgent need for a striker.
With Dominic Calvert-Lewin departing, Everton are light upfront, and while Barry would arrive with more quality in front of goal, he is still relatively inexperienced.
It took the attacker some time to settle at Villarreal before he fully adapted, and there were occasions in which he frustrated in front of goal and with his offside runs.
A slow start at Everton would not be surprising as the young striker takes time to adapt to the Premier League and David Moyes’ system, but the hope will be that he can start firing in front of goal to become the long-term starting striker.
Barry is hours away from being announced, with the new era really set to take off at Everton.
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