Thierno Barry has been at Everton for one season and he's already attracting Bundesliga interest. RB Leipzig have made an enquiry about the French Under-21 forward, though no formal offer has landed at Goodison yet.
When one does — from Leipzig or anyone else — Everton's football leadership group will sit down and decide. That's the sum of where things stand. Not a refusal, not an open door. A decision pending.
A £27m man who spent the spring on the bench
Barry arrived from Villarreal last summer for £27m and finished the season with eight goals in 41 appearances across all competitions. Decent numbers on the surface. But the context matters: from January onwards, Beto took over as the first-choice striker, scoring eight times in the second half of the campaign and effectively pushing Barry into a supporting role.
That shift in the pecking order is almost certainly why Leipzig are sniffing around. A player with Barry's profile — young, technically capable, international-level pedigree — sitting second fiddle at Everton is a recruitment opportunity for a club in transition.
And Leipzig are very much in transition. They axed head coach Ole Werner this week despite him guiding the club into next season's Champions League. Martin Demichelis, formerly of Bayern Munich and Manchester City, is expected to take the job. A new manager reshaping a squad for European football is exactly the kind of situation where a forward with something to prove becomes attractive — and where his price tag becomes negotiable.
From a betting perspective, Barry's exit would materially affect Everton's attacking depth heading into next season at their new stadium. If he goes without a replacement of similar quality coming in, their goal output odds take a real hit.
Hackney and Iroegbunam add to Everton's busy summer
The Barry situation isn't the only piece Everton are managing. Negotiations with Middlesbrough over Hayden Hackney are ongoing — a midfielder who knocked back a £20m Ipswich move last summer and has reportedly told people he wants to join Everton, even with Crystal Palace and Hull City also in the picture. Boro and Everton haven't agreed a fee yet, and with Hackney entering the final year of his contract, that conversation is going to get more complicated, not less.
Tim Iroegbunam is also drawing interest from clubs domestically and abroad.
Three midfield and attacking decisions in play simultaneously. Everton's summer is already moving at pace — and none of it is straightforward.
