Season › 2024-25 › News Sources claim Thierno Barry signing is now very close Michael Kenrick 03/07/2025 165comments | Jump to last A number of major sites are following ESPN's lead with a report that Everton are now very close to confirming an agreement to sign Thierno Barry from Villarreal. Unnamed sources have told ESPN's Matteo Moretto that Everton have reached an agreement to sign Thierno Barry from Villarreal for an initial €35M. The 22-year-old will sign a four-year contract, sources added. "Barry's Villarreal contract is reported to contain a €40M release clause but Everton have worked hard in recent weeks to bring this down to €35M plus future add-ons," stated the report. The transfer guru Fabrizio Romano claims that "Everton have prepared all documents for Thierno Barry with Villarreal, agreement confirmed. He’s the new striker for David Moyes." Meanwhile, we await confirmation of his signature from the club itself. Reader Comments (165) Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer () Mike Gaynes 1 Posted 02/07/2025 at 23:17:31 Well, Romano got this one right. ESPN reported 20 minutes ago that Everton have finalized an agreement to sign Thierno Barry. Our new recruitment team bargained Villarreal down from the €40 million release clause to a €35 million deal, plus future add-ons.And the club have agreed a four-year contract with Barry.But the guy who got this one the earliest, far and away, was Paddy Boyland. The Athletic suggested way back on May 6 that Barry was a player Everton should, and would, pursue. And Boyland has tracked the progress of the pursuit all the way. Andrew James 2 Posted 03/07/2025 at 00:37:32 I know zilch about this player. Will he play as a centre forward or just off Beto or whoever? Dan Parker 3 Posted 03/07/2025 at 00:38:48 Until hes in the door, its all rumour and speculation. Kevin Molloy 4 Posted 03/07/2025 at 00:49:25 I reckon, if we get a half-decent bid for Beto, he'll now go. I can't see him wanting to stick around to play support if, eg, Leeds tell him they'll play him every week. Andrew James 5 Posted 03/07/2025 at 00:52:31 Kevin,I wouldn't have thought so. He's done next to nothing with us and so he needs to prove himself at this level. Eric Myles 6 Posted 03/07/2025 at 01:04:43 So it's taken from May to now to negotiate a €5M reduction which we'll end up paying anyway?Meanwhile, another team could have scuppered the deal by agreeing the full amount.The ghost of Chairman Bill still lingering in the corridors of Finch Farm? The sooner we get the new team in place, the better. Mike Gaynes 7 Posted 03/07/2025 at 02:01:25 Eric, you're joking, right? We're signing a fine young player just like everybody wants and you're complaining about the negotiation process?Really?First, our chief negotiator didn't officially come aboard until about two weeks ago. Seems to me he got right on it.And second, we weren't gonna sign anybody until the old PSR year was over... which was yesterday. (Or the day before in your time zone.)Enjoy. We're active right out of the gate. When was the last time that happened? Tom Bowers 8 Posted 03/07/2025 at 02:15:44 I think Beto will stay now that DCL is going.That means we will have him, Barry and Chermitti as front men unless Chermitti is still considered a viable option. Bob Parrington 9 Posted 03/07/2025 at 02:56:41 Certainly looking positive, this one. We're starting to see some of the benefits of having a highly professional and successful business owner. As Mike states, we were never going to sign new players until after 30 June because of old PSR rules. So, if the news re Barry is accurate, this is impressive.Bring it on!BTW, has anyone on here a reasonable idea of how much in total weekly savings has resulted from all of the outgoing players? Jay Harris 10 Posted 03/07/2025 at 04:01:39 Bob,I believe it was fairly common knowledge that Doucoure, Calvert-Lewin and Ashley Young were all on over £100k a week, so there's a £15M saving right there. Mangala, Broja, Lindstrom and Harrison must account for between £15M and £20M in wages and, if you add in Holgate, Maupay, Begovic etc, you're probably talking over £40M in savings but bear in mind we have to replace them and our new executive team won't be cheap either. Craig Scott 11 Posted 03/07/2025 at 04:33:25 This lad is the right age at least although I don't know much more about him. I'm hoping we could get another striker to complement him who has lots of pace and is good on the ball. Then we could offload the carthorse Beto if anyone would take him. Annika Herbert 12 Posted 03/07/2025 at 05:54:22 Active right out of the gate eh? You can't beat a good joke to kickstart the morning. Derek Thomas 13 Posted 03/07/2025 at 06:06:42 Something about, mumble, mumble, Swallow, mumble, mumble, Summer. We're supposed to be Keane to sign some bloke called Albert Ross too.It'll all be okay on the (Monday) Night (at Leeds [Dirty, dirty, Leeds]), though… won't it?? Danny O'Neill 14 Posted 03/07/2025 at 06:17:38 We were never going to see new business until after 1 July.As for wages and figures. I don't guesstimate on them. The board and owners will figure what is affordable.Positive news. I'm not one for "this link, that link" and only take notice when there is something credible. This one had legs a couple of weeks ago.Now let's see it in black and white and his picture in a blue shirt with a pen in his hand. Steve Shave 15 Posted 03/07/2025 at 06:31:17 Eric you are usually a very sensible poster on here but that was a strange comment. We've to wait till July before we could proceed with any real business other than Alcaraz. Also, there has been the matter of Branthwaite's, Keane's, Calvert-Lewin's and Gana'scontracts which determines the business we can do. I hope Keane and Gana both sign this week and we go all in for Wesley and Fellows or Dibling.It seems like this Barry deal is all but done. Looks a real prospect and the sort of player we should be aiming for. I can't see us letting go of Beto, in fact, whilst Barry is finding his feet I expect Beto to be our starting centre-forward. I feel he has earned that but it's his to lose. Jim Bennings 16 Posted 03/07/2025 at 06:44:50 There's no way we will let Beto go — not by just signing one striker.There is every possibility that Barry may struggle to adapt early on, it wouldn't be any surprise at all, in fact I almost expect as much.So we can't afford to allow an experienced striker in Beto to leave and keep Chermiti as backup who, let's be honest, completely fell out of favour towards the end of last season which probably tells you where he is in terms of readiness.I think we'll likely loan Chermiti out abroad before the end of the window.Hopefully Thierno Barry is a wonderful player and makes that starting birth his own and gets double figures. Robert Campbell 17 Posted 03/07/2025 at 07:46:03 I agree with Jim Bennings. And, as noted elsewhere, having Beto around will take pressure off the young striker and allow him to get up to the Premier League level of play. Beto has been scoring, and if he is thinking of moving in the future, it will make him a more attractive player for potential buyers if he has led a Premier League attack for two half-seasons. Si Pulford 18 Posted 03/07/2025 at 07:47:09 Mad comment there, Eric. Talk about lose-lose. What more did you expect? Tell me what team outside the elite have signed shedloads of players? Meanwhile, we've signed an Argentine international, reduced our wage bill massively, extended the contract of one of the best young centre-backs in the world, apparently are close to agreeing the signing of a highly sought after new striker,, with more to come through the door, and we could only really start signing two days ago!??? Things are looking up, no? And you are bizarrely not only criticising but also blaming someone who's been dead for 2 years! The lack of positivity on these boards is astonishing at times. Lee Courtliff 19 Posted 03/07/2025 at 07:47:52 No way this lad is ready to start every week in the Premier League, he is simply too young with zero experience of English football. Beto will still be our starting centre-forward this season, with Barry either coming on late in games or getting some minutes in the wide areas. This is definitely the kind of signing a Brighton or Brentford would make, and everyone on here would lambast our club for not doing something similar. Now we need that right flank sorting! Andrew Ellams 20 Posted 03/07/2025 at 07:56:19 Si, you're right about other teams… But also none of them have had a hole ripped out of their squads like we have. Kunal Desai 21 Posted 03/07/2025 at 08:03:56 Beto won't be leaving. I expect us to add another forward on loan but that may not come until towards the closure of the window. Broja's replacement. Duncan McCarthy 23 Posted 03/07/2025 at 08:19:37 2 up top at times if we're chasing - with two big units over 6ft-4in. Add in Jake, Jarrad and Jimmy from set pieces and we could be potent. Couple of wingers and full-backs who can whip in crosses too next please and we'll start to have a proper toolbox our magical manager can use. A “Fellaini type” centre-midfield unit wouldn't be bad icing on the cake too. Joe McMahon 24 Posted 03/07/2025 at 08:25:42 Eric, cheer up, man!Isn't Chermiti going on loan to Stoke? Rob Dolby 25 Posted 03/07/2025 at 08:31:52 Villarreal spent €13M on this player 12 months ago and we are getting a bargain at €30M? Therein lies a massive problem at the club. Many have banged on about it before but we need to be picking up these players earlier.If we get him, fine… but according to some we only have between £70-100M to spend this summer. Stewart Lowe 26 Posted 03/07/2025 at 08:36:05 I think under Moyes, Beto was quite a find for him. Even if he still continues to fluff a lot of his chances, I'm confident he will get 12-15 goals this season. I don't count Chermiti as being close to our squad this season, let alone a 3rd choice striker. Despite so much time on the sidelines with injury, he needs to go somewhere like the Dutch League, or a Championship team, to try and score a lot of goals. If he doesn't, I'd definitely move him on next season, as our new Everton can't wait for him.It would definitely be Beto and Barry for me next season and a loan for someone in the mould of an Ings or Vardy (clearly not Ings or Vardy, just examples), to offer a bit of something different. Stu Gre 27 Posted 03/07/2025 at 08:47:50 I get what people are saying about PSR and July 1st, but I kind of expected we'd have agreed a bunch of deals in June and be announcing them this week.I think we need all or most the new players to be on the US tour to get the team bonded. I hope we'll have 5 or 6 in the next week. Stewart Lowe 28 Posted 03/07/2025 at 08:54:13 Sadly Eric, I think the garbage that we have had to contend with under the Moshiri & Kenwright years has made us all at times sleep with one eye open.So much bad blood and despair between the club and its fans has made us battle hardened, but slowly we are all reawakening to this new Everton, but rightfully sceptical, as we aren't there yet.Unfortunately, when Kenwright said, I have found you the billionaire owner you wanted, we all thought, OMG, we have a new era coming!! I won't go into any other detail about that as it's now old news and we are moving forward.I feel the honour and pride of being an Evertonian coming back, and believe again that a new era for us beckons! COYB Danny O'Neill 29 Posted 03/07/2025 at 08:55:03 But if it was the other way around Rob@25, we'd be calling it good business?I don't see the need to move Beto on. We'd just have to bring in another striker. He scored 8 last season, in a low scoring team. We need options up front. Beto and Barry (if/when he signs), give us that.We can focus on other areas. John Chambers 30 Posted 03/07/2025 at 09:09:40 I've seen a few comments here about Barry about him being too young, not starting etc. The guy will be 23 in October and I don't think you get many top strikers establishing themselves when they are older.Yes it may take a few games to see the best of him, although if he is here for pre-season that will help, but if we are spending about £30M on him I expect to see him in the team from the start of the season Dave Abrahams 31 Posted 03/07/2025 at 09:23:04 While we have negotiated for quite a while to get the transfer fee lowered which other clubs were competing to sign Barry?I have no idea how good Barry is as I never seen him but if he comes I still expect Beto to start the season as our striker. Craig Scott 32 Posted 03/07/2025 at 09:30:11 I agree John. If we're spending any money at all on a new striker we should expect him to hit the ground running from the start. I don't get the reticence around gradually easing him in. He's a professional on good money. Go out there and score goals. Unfortunately Beto will probably stay, but for those who think he should stay I have a feeling you'll be joining the rest of us gnashing your teeth over him half way through the season. Matt Traynor 33 Posted 03/07/2025 at 09:41:05 Lee #19, that argument doesn't really wash.The old adage - if you're good enough you're old enough.I'll leave it there - I never played at any level - there are people here who did. I did briefly work for a football club. Tony Cunningham 34 Posted 03/07/2025 at 10:33:36 Eric, come on! It's the 3rd of July!We couldn't sign him earlier due to PSR and the guy was playing for the U21s. People seem to think other clubs complete signings in a matter of days, it never happens like that... and if we did then people would complain we didn't do enough due diligence!!Although I must add Fabrizio was wrong about Tete so not a done deal yet. Rob Hooton 35 Posted 03/07/2025 at 10:45:59 The Beeb and others are reporting on this so it looks like it's almost over the line, I don't know anything about the player but hope he has a long and successful career at Everton!I can't see us letting Beto go now, we saw him develop second half of last season and we need competition up top. Hopefully we'll see more of Chermiti this season and whether he has a chance of making it, we did spend quite a lot on him as a young unproven striker.BBC - Beto, Barry, Chermiti… Henrik Lyngsie 37 Posted 03/07/2025 at 12:16:06 I got a brief introduction to Barry in the Under-21 Cup recently. He came on as a sub midway through the second half in France-Denmark. He was quite anonymous and I only noticed him because of the Everton rumour. My immediate impression was that he will struggle to make an impact in the Premier League from day one and that he comes with a hefty price tag. But maybe it just shows how difficult it is to buy strikers for the Premier League. John Atkinson 38 Posted 03/07/2025 at 13:24:26 Why are people beating up on Beto? I think the lad is brilliant and will become 15- to 20-goals-a-season striker. Spurs will pay £50M for him next season!!I have a feeling Calvert-Lewin will in a Spurs shirt come August. I hate Spurs more than the redshite. Eric Myles 39 Posted 03/07/2025 at 13:37:22 Really guys, I understand the constraints of PSR and we couldn't 'sign' anyone until 1 July.But if Mike is right and there was interest in May, we could have agreed the transfer fee, agreed terms with the player, and signed an agreement with both club and player to execute the contract as of 1 July.It could have been done and dusted with little chance of being gazumped by someone else.If I was really being "glass half-empty", I'd wonder why nobody else was interested in him? All they would have to do is meet the release clause fee and they would be in pole position. Eric Myles 41 Posted 03/07/2025 at 14:01:38 Steve #15 "Eric you are usually a very sensible poster on here"Thanks Steve but you're probably the only one who thinks that! You can't have been around in the Fellaini transfer and Covid days. James Fletcher 42 Posted 03/07/2025 at 14:12:24 Looks like a positive signing and doesn't appear to be the knee jerk, desperation signings we've seen in the past. Hopefully he goes on to do great things for us but in the mean time we have Beto and I'm baffled that people want him to move on - I think he's been great for us so far and will likely only get better. Liam Mogan 43 Posted 03/07/2025 at 14:20:59 Chermiti has never scored a senior goal in his own (admittedly short) career.He needs a loan. Peter Gorman 44 Posted 03/07/2025 at 15:00:26 Liam, he has in the Primeira Liga Lee Courtliff 45 Posted 03/07/2025 at 15:34:02 Matt Traynor #33 Obviously I hope I'm wrong and he hits the ground running but I'm not so sure Moyes will thrust him into the Premier League straight away. Many players have taken time to settle before showing their best form and I think Barry will be used as a sub, in the main. Let's just get it done first, anyway. Kevin Molloy 46 Posted 03/07/2025 at 15:54:32 It's not that I think Beto hasn't done well, it's as others have commented: if we spend this amount, he's going to be first choice. As such, I think other clubs will test the water with substantial bids, and if we get over £20M bids, I think Beto will say he wants to go. If he does, he will of course be replaced. Jay Harris 47 Posted 03/07/2025 at 15:55:40 Everybody is assuming it's a done deal but like Tete and Manny Fernandes before him, until it's over the dotted line it's not confirmed.£30M is peanuts for a striker these days so our expectations should not be too high.Delap was an absolute steal and players of his ability would normally go for over £70M.We got £75M for Lukaku all those years ago so, if this guy is even close to becoming a "Lukaku", we will have got a diamond. Mick Hoban 48 Posted 03/07/2025 at 16:07:36 I think even if this is already done and dusted, the photographs taken and the press release ready, I very much doubt they'd release it today given the terrible news of Diogo Jota. It just wouldn't look good. RIP. Conor McCourt 49 Posted 03/07/2025 at 16:20:20 Just to give a bit of balance to the beating up of Beto there are 2 ways of looking at his time at Everton.The first is the popular belief on this thread that Beto had only scored 4 Premier League goals in 1½ seasons under Dyche as opposed to the 8 goals in half a season under Moyes. Like the majority of our attackers he suffered under the constraints of the Dyche regime and wasn't used to best effect.Posters may therefore feel with better service and a less conservative manager that he will be more than capable of hitting at least 15 this season. Moreover it may make sense to have an experienced Premier League striker as no doubt Barry will probably need at least half the season to acclimatise.However the other side of the argument and one I believe is that Beto's purple spell coincided with a new manager bounce in which practically every player were re-invigorated after spending 2 full seasons of the most tedious constricted football most of them will ever have had to endure.Once the initial 'bounce' wore off Beto wasn't grossly better than the player we seen before. I certainly wouldn't be confident in him hitting double figures this season. In the perilous world of PSR I think now is exactly the right time to cash in when his stock has risen and we can achieve a break even of our investment. That money could then be used to buy a talent like Ferguson who has lost his way, making him realistically affordable and who would excel under Moyes and his demands of a striker.One of the biggest mistakes of the previous regimes was to see a player hit a bit of form, reward them with long and extortionate contracts and then see them sit on the shelf, unable to offload. I hope this regime will be a bit more savvy. Si Cooper 50 Posted 03/07/2025 at 16:29:07 Kevin (46), I'm not seeing your reasoning? Which clubs are you thinking of that will have Beto insisting he doesn't want to stay if they offer us £20M? Kevin Molloy 51 Posted 03/07/2025 at 16:40:12 Si, I believe Leeds were interested a few weeks ago? But all the promoted teams and up to midtable would be interested in a player who scores in the Premier League the way Beto did last season. Liam Mogan 52 Posted 03/07/2025 at 16:49:53 I think other clubs will definitely be interested in Beto, especially after his goals when Moyes came in.We all know he's not the best we've ever seen but last season he scored every 188 mins he played in the Premier League, which is not to be sniffed atI get that his career has been stuttering and goals patchy, but Kevin is correct and most teams from the top 8/9 downwards would be interested in a striker who could score 10-15 goals if given a good run. Grant Rorrison 53 Posted 03/07/2025 at 16:58:00 Conor @49.Bit harsh on Beto. He may not be Lukaku but he is a proven moderate goal-scorer and we'd be silly to part with him unless we had a decent alternative lined up. His form tailed off when the service was absent due to players either getting injured (Ndiaye) or being in and out the team (Alcaraz) He has a decent understanding with the latter in particular and when Charly started against Ipswich and put in a great cross he started scoring again. If he could just comprehend the offside rule he'd have scored a good few more last season. His record of goals to starts is actually excellent. Evan Ferguson has only ever had one purple patch in his career to date and has otherwise been dreadful. Still, Brighton want £28M for him. No thanks. Steve Brown 54 Posted 03/07/2025 at 17:01:54 Moyes won't start Barry ahead of Beto as the main striker if he signs him this summer. He will probably be played out of position on the wing for 6 months. Liam Mogan 55 Posted 03/07/2025 at 17:11:55 Think that's incorrect, Steve. Probably play him at right-back. Jay Harris 56 Posted 03/07/2025 at 17:27:31 Conor,There is a good reason Brighton don't want Evan Ferguson.He can't score goals at this level and/or his confidence is totally shot.As we saw with Dele Alli, the Premier League is very unforgiving; so, if you are out for any length of time, it's too hard to get it back. Conor McCourt 57 Posted 03/07/2025 at 17:28:26 Grant, it doesn't have to be Ferguson but there are key differences between Beto and Ferguson.Beto has never been a prolific striker. He will be 28 in January and his best season has been 11 goals in any decent standard of football. From a financial perspective we will never be able to recoup this type of fee again. Ferguson you are right only had a Premier League purple patch but there are reasons which contributed to that namely injury. He is a special talent who along with Cesc Fabregas were the only non English players to score 10 Premier League goals by the age of 18.While Beto is arguably at the highest value in his career, Ferguson is most likely at his lowest. This is a player who Alan Shearer waxed lyrical about in terms of his all round game.Ferguson has also suffered since the signing of Pedro when he regained fitness who likes to take the space and is better suited to Wellbeck who likes to spin in behind. Ferguson would be a lot more suited to a manager like Moyes who likes to get balls into the box and focuses on set pieces. Were Ferguson to stink the place out we would recoup the majority of our outlay. The upside with him his huge and he is still only 20. No doubt he will have a point to prove and Moyes has a bit of experience with this type of player like he did with Arteta. Si Cooper 58 Posted 03/07/2025 at 17:29:45 Kevin (51), I didn't ask for clubs that would be interested in Beto for £20M, I asked for clubs he would be demanding to be allowed to leave us for, if they offered us £20M to sign him. Andy Crooks 59 Posted 03/07/2025 at 17:34:13 Good posts, Conor. I would love us to sign Ferguson. Kevin Molloy 60 Posted 03/07/2025 at 17:47:31 Once the penny drops with Beto that he's not No 1, he will take all or any of them, Si. They will offer him a pay rise and and to play every week. He may turn his nose up at Burnley, but there will be clubs who will be able to attract him. He was being linked with Man Utd the other week. He will speak with Moyes and realise that he's not really what he's looking for. Andrew Clare 61 Posted 03/07/2025 at 17:48:35 Beto is fine he did a good job when Moyes took over and I am sure that with Alcaraz and Ndiaye playing alongside him he will score more goals.If Barry does sign then I am sure Beto will fight hard to stay in the team.We shouldn't sell him. Prior to the arrival of Moyes he was playing in the most negative team in the country that were destined to be relegated.I am sure you can all remember how bad it was. I just couldn't see where the next win was coming from.For all my doubts Moyes came in and did a marvellous job resulting in Beto scoring some vital goals.I like him. He has a great attitude and I think Moyes feels the same way. Ian Bennett 62 Posted 03/07/2025 at 17:53:31 It is a good post, but...He's missed 24 games to injury over the last 2 seasons.And he's played only 1721 minutes and then 541 minutes over the last 2 seasons. Thats 19 and 6 games equivalent = 25 games in 2 season, when the best would have played 100.I beg to differ if you'd get your money if he broke down again, and he's likely to be demanding fair wages over a 4 or 5 year contract.The here and now is Beto is fit and scoring. Ferguson could be on the treatment table.Id take him on loan only, and any talk of a permanent deal can only be if he's scoring and playing 30+ games a season. We've seen this one too many times already with Duncan & Dcl, and why id keep beto. You'd still get good money on beto when he's 30, as hes not had serious injury to date or ob silly wages. Danny O'Neill 63 Posted 03/07/2025 at 18:07:02 Very balanced post ,Conor @49.Two things I'd disagree with on. I think with a full season playing regularly, he could hit double figures.And I wouldn't be selling him just yet, as we'd need to find someone else. Joe McMahon 64 Posted 03/07/2025 at 18:20:34 We absolutely cannot sell Beto.Year after year, we have so few strikers, and most of them are the non-scoring type at that. Fully agree with Danny. Grant Rorrison 65 Posted 03/07/2025 at 18:23:53 Conor 57.Erm, Fabregas only scored 5 goals in the Premier League by the end of the 2005-06 season. He's currently 38 and turned 19 in May 2006. Evan Ferguson was gash at West Ham. I don't think Pedro 'taking the space' or Welbeck 'spinning in behind' had anything to do with it. If he was that good there is no way that Brighton would consider selling him. Especially the same summer they've allowed Pedro to leave. Maybe they know more than we do and see this as their last chance to get a decent return on a busted flush? Conor McCourt 66 Posted 03/07/2025 at 18:57:28 Sorry Grant that was goal involvements not goals. We shouldn't take a player because another team doesn't want him? You wouldn't haven't taken De Bruyne or Salah then?Is this the same Brighton who wouldn't entertain bids of £60M for him and wanted £100M not long before? Because Hurzeler doesn't rate him doesn't mean he's finished.At West Ham he was never properly match fit. I watched him play 2 games for Ireland and in both games he was 'gash'. But in a split second in one of them he picks up a ball deep, plays a 1-2 with Parrott and strikes an absolute screamer. The ability is still there even when he was out of shape and low in confidence.Ian is right that a loan to buy would be the best option but I only raised the suggestion because I have a feeling that he will come back firing to get himself fit and is one of only a few top class strikers we could afford with Premier League knowhow, who is available and would come to us and is a serious upgrade in quality to Beto. He would come to a club and manager where I think he would thrive David West 67 Posted 03/07/2025 at 19:16:47 Watched clips of this lad. I know you can make Neil Maupay look like Naymar on YouTube. He has a physical presence, strong with pace, unlike Beto has a good touch and good awareness to bring in players and a bit of vision to go with it. He's one who could definitely improve us. On Ferguson, I'd take him in a heartbeat. He fits the mould of Moyes, a player with undoubted qualities who's lost his way a little, a bit like Arteta and Pienaar. Grant Rorrison 68 Posted 03/07/2025 at 20:50:57 Conor 66.I don't believe that there isn't loads of players with 10 Premier League goal 'involvements' by the age of 18. Rooney and Jeffers were 'involved' in loads of goals by 18. If they still thought Ferguson was a 100 million pound player now and their manager didn't then they'd be getting rid of Hurzeler. I am glad he's too good for the defense of a side ranked below Oman and Gabon in the FIFA World Rankings. Always the main criteria when assessing the suitability of potential new recruits. Maybe you're right. Time will tell and that guy at Sporting Lisbon that everyone wants was a Brighton reject. Christy Ring 69 Posted 03/07/2025 at 20:51:31 I can't see why we can't offer a loan to buy for Ferguson and send Chermiti out on loan. He'd suit Moyes, good in the air and a great first touch, all he needs is a fresh start with a manager who believes in him.Man Utd were quoted £100M two years ago, the talent is there. I would say, we can't afford to sell Beto, with Calvert-Lewin gone. To expect Barry to come in and expect him to make an impact straight away in the Premier League is a big ask coming from the Spanish league. Conor McCourt 70 Posted 03/07/2025 at 21:13:47 Non English Grant.You have poo pooed yet, despite all his setbacks, he still has more Premier League goals than Beto! Grant Rorrison 71 Posted 03/07/2025 at 21:38:55 Conor 70.What 2 more Premier League goals from 8 more appearances? Right, that must be why Brighton thought he was worth £100M. Beto must be worth £90-95M himself though. Neil Thomas 72 Posted 03/07/2025 at 21:51:52 Rob#25Do you mean players like Brainthwaite bought for £1.5m now valued at £70m+ or Nydia bought for £18m now worth at least double, or just signing Alcalaz for £13m who Im sure will be worth a lot more before the end of this season, or even O Brian, another whos value will double at least? Dont think many teams have really done a lot better than us, do you? Or do you think Man U have been successful with player values? Anthony? Hojland? McGuire? Casamiro? Zirkzee? Onana? Jerome Shields 73 Posted 03/07/2025 at 22:55:42 This is a very good player.Here's hoping. Paul Smith 74 Posted 03/07/2025 at 23:07:43 Steve Brown @ 54. LMAO. It may be tongue n cheek but you know it'll happen. Conor McCourt 75 Posted 03/07/2025 at 23:16:38 Grant this will be my last post on the subject but Ferguson scored 10 goals in 25 appearances in all comps in his breakout season. (Did have a couple of fleeting appearances in the previous campaign)He then added a further 6 prem goals in his next 12 games.A series of minor injuries, then a major one have curtailed his development resulting in a loss of confidence, form and stability. Beto is what he is. He is a ten goal striker at best and apart from his enthusiasm is inferior to Ferguson in every other facet of the game.Here is a great article by the athletic. We will just after to agree to disagree on the player.https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5863495/2024/11/20/evan-ferguson-brighton-hurzeler-goals/ Paul Kossoff 76 Posted 03/07/2025 at 23:35:43 England forward Tammy Abraham has joined Turkish side Besiktas from Roma.The 27-year-old will initially move on a season-long loan, external for 2m euros (£1.72m) and the switch will be made permanent, external for 13m euros (£11.2mShould we have gone for him? Big difference in price £11million for a proven premier league striker to £35million for an untried 22 yrs old who back in 2022 was a free transfer. Let's hope Barry is not fourth in line of strikers we bought who have been, let's say not very good. Keane, Beto and Chermiti. Ian Campbell 77 Posted 04/07/2025 at 00:24:31 John @38 I couldnt agree more Spurs and the skunks boil my piss far more than the RS these days Danny O'Neill 78 Posted 04/07/2025 at 06:41:31 I'll have to ask my cousin about Tammy Abraham Paul.I don't recall him being a regular and I don't think he was that prolific over several seasons?Anyway, it looks like our money is on Barry, so that's where the club is going. If / when it happens, and it sounds close, then we will have Beto and Barry as options.Now for the right flank.Beto/Barry, Ndiaye, Alcaraz plus another won't look too bad. Andrew Ellams 79 Posted 04/07/2025 at 06:58:01 I see Marco Asensio from PSG may be available for €15m with Fenerbahce interested. Maybe worth a look too. Rob Halligan 80 Posted 04/07/2025 at 07:39:03 FYI, I have not changed my name to Ian Campbell! 😁😁😁 Mike Gaynes 81 Posted 04/07/2025 at 08:44:34 Conor #75, Beto is a "ten goal striker at best"?Considering he scored 10 for us last season in just 20 starts and half the available minutes, that is a distinctly odd statement. Robert Tressell 82 Posted 04/07/2025 at 08:57:11 The problem we have is this: how do you get hold of a Champions League quality striker? Well, if you have the money this summer you can buy Gyokeres or Ekitike and maybe one or two others.If you cannot afford the fee, there are a few options: - a relatively low cost development player like Thierno Barry (a fee of less than €40m is less than we paid for the likes of Yakubu, Johnson and Beattie back in the day) - a player of great potential who is struggling to fulfil it for various reasons (mainly injury), like Evan Ferguson and even Armando Broja- develop someone over many years (which could be Chermiti or Graham, who knows)If Thierno Barry was ready now to kick on and hit 15(+) Premier League goals on arrival then he would be worth about £70m(+) (as Lukaku would have been in today's money) and wouldn't be coming to Everton. The fact is he is not that that player - at least yet. He could be, but it may take time (but equally he could plateau out as a Beto / DCL standard player).If Evan Ferguson wasn't out of form and overcoming injuries then he would also cost more than £70m. He is a very talented striker and I really wouldn't take account of his form at atrocious West Ham last season. Personally I think he's more talented than Delap.I would be absolutely delighted to sign Ferguson on loan - but it looks like we're going for Barry. It wouldn't be a surprise if fans (especially on the live forum) write him off on arrival as Beto Mark II / Championship at best / cannot trap a bag of cement / absolute garbage etc. But it may take a season or two (or more as per Wissa at Brentford and Cunha after finally hitting form at Wolves after a strange nomadic career) before he starts delivering. Jake FitzGerald 83 Posted 04/07/2025 at 09:13:25 From what Ive seen of Barry, hes more of a quick touch goal poacher, (by both feet and head), rather than Betos style of running onto threaded passes, which suggests to me, that possessing that innate alertness and spatial awareness, he should assimilate into the PL quicker than others. Also - I dont see the reasoning in Beto wanting to leave if Barry arrives. Loads of PL clubs have two or more strikers competing to be first choice - thats the fundamental key to competition for places. Its healthy. Barry coming on for Beto in the last 10 mins to get on the end of loads of balls in the box, if were chasing the game, makes perfect sense to me. Martin Farrington 84 Posted 04/07/2025 at 09:32:48 Robert, nail on the head.How do you attract that calibre of goalscorer indeed. Chelsea have signed two and are about to sign a third. They will then have at least eight recognised strikers on their books first team ready. Broja is a complete duffer imo and should be swerved at all costs.Gyokeres has turned us down once with a very swift not interested whatsoever. And The Serious Rumour Squad has him about to sign for Arsenal.With the tragic demise of Jota, Liverpool will most certainly be in the hunt if they weren't already.Its acknowledged Man Utd and Spurs need further forwards.As we get pushed further down the list you have to look at other PL teams in Europe. Players see that as an interim move. A window to showcase themselves for a bigger club. Everton are unattractive.It doesnt help that we have also had a terrible recruitment team in situ for decades, who overspent on garbage players both in terms of fees and wages.Success has come in the shape of Jazza. But he had to go out on loan to develop. O'Brien has now been given a chance and is learning on the job despite Dyche's best efforts to ignore him. Illy is the one bright light whom we signed and was already a class act. Charley will get better. The rest clearly arent highly regarded. Chermiti has done nothing in his few outings, failing to impress whatsoever and I havent seen a sparkle in him.So we need golden nuggets.Our mid table rivals seem to be able to find decent players and strikers with ease, ones that we are blind and oblivious to.Back here under the new regime, its great putting a new team of experts in place. Something I find positive.But if we keep the same dreadful personnel we've had scouring the inside of a ping pong ball for talent, then the new team havent a hope.That lot have to go. Bin the lousy agents we have on speed dial.We should be trying to entice great scouts. That way we have a chance Ian Bennett 85 Posted 04/07/2025 at 09:40:15 Gone from England u21, to Germany u21, to France u21.Lets hope we get this one over the line. Si Pulford 86 Posted 04/07/2025 at 09:44:04 Martin I agree with most of what you say there mate. But theres an alternate universe where fans of our mid table rivals are possibly on their own message boards saying: ‘if Everton got Tarkowski and Branthwaite for a combined one million. And Obrien and Ndyaie for 16 million each, where have our scouts been? They even got that Alcaraz feller for 12 million….Yes weve failed with strikers and signed some utter dross but you have to roll the dice when youre not part of the established elite who can just buy ready made CL quality players. And rolling the dice is by definition a gamble. I even read on a West Ham forum their fans slacking their recruitment team for ‘dithering while Everton sign one of their primary targets. It seems we all share the same frustrations!! Ryan Holroyd 87 Posted 04/07/2025 at 10:04:12 Interesting that Villareal are looking to buy Evann Guessand Sam Hoare 88 Posted 04/07/2025 at 10:11:31 I think Conor may be right that from a financial point of view we may never get as high a value from selling Beto as we would now.But from a practical point of view I think it would be dangerous to sell our most settled and effective striker for Barry (who is untried in the PL) and the likes of Ferguson whose physical condition would seem a risk after the last two seasons.Ryan@87 I've been banging the Guessand drum all summer. More verstaile player than Barry and could do a great job for us on the right wing. Richarlison type who can legitamately play all across the front line. I'd love to get him as well as Barry.I like Barry but Villareal got him for only £12m last summer. At some point we need to start finding these players earlier rather than paying premiums. Rob Halligan 89 Posted 04/07/2025 at 10:16:38 Weve lost DCL, some want to sell Beto, Chermiti is yet to establish himself at Everton never mind in the premier league, and Barry will also be a complete novice to us and the premier league. Yeah, it all makes sense! 🤔🤔🤔 Ryan Holroyd 90 Posted 04/07/2025 at 10:20:19 Some dont get the concept of a ‘squad Robert Tressell 91 Posted 04/07/2025 at 10:20:45 Martin, I don't know what you are expecting of scouts - but basically any players vaguely ready for first team football in the Premier League will be very, very well known to the club already. The primary reason we have failed to land Champions League quality strikers over the course of the last 30 years is that we have not had a Champions League budget. Going back about 20 years, we have spent what would now be £65m to £80m ish only twice - Lukaku and Beattie.The second reason we have failed is that instead of buying high quality talent to develop, we have often bought mid-price average players who have already peaked. We need to exploit low cost markets and youth development, but all of that takes time. More Chermitis and Grahams on the books - and every so often one of them will turn into a diamond.These youth players do not need to be hunted down by a scout "in the know" as they are all hiding in plain sight in u16 to u21 international football. Andrew Ellams 92 Posted 04/07/2025 at 10:25:01 Frustrating isn't it Ryan. I'm not sure some people have clocked on that we have more than one man on the bench these days. Kevin Molloy 93 Posted 04/07/2025 at 10:43:45 Ryan Holroyd 94 Posted 04/07/2025 at 10:44:19 Keane and Gana have signed new deals. James Marshall 95 Posted 04/07/2025 at 10:45:11 There's a decent report on Barry from our friends at Sky which is worth a read if you have 10 minutes to spare:Link Ryan Holroyd 96 Posted 04/07/2025 at 10:45:51 Very much so Andrew. Sam Hoare 97 Posted 04/07/2025 at 10:54:06 We do need a squad. Though we also have to allocate resources carefully. Personally I don't think we need any more frontline strikers after Beto and Barry. I would be looking more for versatile forwards (like Guessand) who can fill in a few different positions and potentially start at RW. If you look at the top teams, lots of them only have one or two main strikers with a bunch of versatile, flexible wide players who can then adapt around them:City: Haaland, Marmoush (not really a central striker)Liverpool: DarwinArsenal: Gabriel Jesus, Havertz (more of flexible player)Chelsea: Jackson and now Delap.Newcastle: Isak, Wilson (when not injured)We don't need 3 frontline strikers. We may not even need 2. We need more flexible forwards who can create and score from out wide or behind a central striker. Players in the mold of Salah, Palmer, Mbuemo, Saka, Cunha, Bowen etc.Great news about Gana. James Marshall 98 Posted 04/07/2025 at 10:58:12 Sam - Chelsea have Joao Pedro, Raheem Sterling, Neto, Delap, Madueke, Felix, Jackson, Nkunku, Broja, Tyrique George and Marc Guiu (who?) as forward players. I would warn against ever using Chelsea as a yardstick for making a point about squads! Sam Hoare 99 Posted 04/07/2025 at 11:28:13 James, Chelsea is always an anomaly! Though in this case I'm drawing a distinction between flexible forwards who can play out wide or behind the striker like Sterling, Neto, Nkunku, Madueke, Pedro and front line strikers like Beto and Barry. But it's true that I forgot about Broja which means Chelsea probably have 3 now: Jackson, Delap and Broja. Though the latter may well be loaned out again or sold. Kevin Molloy 100 Posted 04/07/2025 at 12:37:47 I can see us swapping out Beto and getting in a player like Richi who can play up front or in the other attacking positions. James Marshall 101 Posted 04/07/2025 at 13:09:35 Sam - expect Chelsea to add a 4th striker any day now!You're right though, there is a distinction to be made. Si Pulford 102 Posted 04/07/2025 at 14:38:34 Anyone who thinks were going to sell Beto is mental. No chance. We need a squad. Its more likely well sign another striker as well as Beto and Barry than let Beto go. Love him or hate him he scored two less than Nicholas Jackson, Mitoma and Joao Pedro but in far fewer games. Moyes will not want rid of him. Some have said hes probably as saleable as he ever will be which may be true but extrapolate last seasons goals per game and hes in the 15-20 bracket and worth even more. And for the record Im not a fan of Beto. But we wont be letting him go anywhere. Paul Kossoff 103 Posted 04/07/2025 at 15:40:59 We are being linked with Newcastle's William Osula, 21, 6ft 4, apparently best friends with Nidaye. Osula has netted eight goals in as many starts for Denmarks under-21s, including three at the UEFA European Championships.Moyes is interested in Leicester's Wilfrid Nididi, release clause £9million. Rob Dolby 104 Posted 04/07/2025 at 16:02:11 Robert 82,All this signals to me is that we have moved the deck chairs on the Titanic in bringing in a new recruitment team only to be spending £30m on someone we could have got for £10m last season.Where is the innovation or out of box thinking with our new recruitment team.It's just not very encouraging. Paul Kossoff 105 Posted 04/07/2025 at 16:17:30 Jake 83. "Barry coming on for Beto in the last 10 mins to get on the end of loads of balls in the box, if we're chasing the game, makes perfect sense to me." So we are paying £35 mill for a 22 yr old 6ft 4 striker to come on in the last ten minutes to replace a striker who has been taken off, because obviously he's not been very good, and how long do we put up with that, Barry coming on for the last ten minutes? Then when do we get to the part of Beto coming on in the last ten minutes to replace Barry, because he's not been very good? Maybe end of this season when we say, we need a new striker, Dosn't make sense to me. Dave Abrahams 106 Posted 04/07/2025 at 16:25:06 Paul (105) Maybe it makes better sense if Beto stays on and Barry takes advantage of the space and panic that Beto creates! Paul Kossoff 107 Posted 04/07/2025 at 16:35:06 Danny 78. Tammy Abraham's. 37 League Appearances (+ 21 as sub), 21 goals, £11 million, not bad I'd say, compared to Barry, untried, £35 million. Let's hope he's our new Lukaku. And I don't want us paying £35 million for a striker who is not starting. As Anceloti once said, "Football is the same where ever it's played, same pitch, same goals same rules." Andy Crooks 108 Posted 04/07/2025 at 16:36:00 Dave, if Barry wants to to advantage of the panic Beto causes, I reckon he'd be best sitting beside you and your mates!! Paul Kossoff 109 Posted 04/07/2025 at 16:38:58 Dave, I would love two strikers, causing havoc, especially if they are mobile and the defence dosn't know who to mark. Moyes, two strikers? ain't gonna happen. Paul Kossoff 110 Posted 04/07/2025 at 16:48:29 Apparently Barry ranked second of all forwards in Europe's major leagues - and top of anyone in La Liga - for aerial duel success in 2024-25 for players who have competed in a minimum of 100 aerial duels.He won 66.7% of his 153 challenges, while Calvert-Lewin has never won above 53.7% [in the 2020-21 season] in the Premier League. Joe McMahon 111 Posted 04/07/2025 at 16:55:31 Paul, I just want to see a picture of him Everton blue. It's been imminent. Close even "a step away" for weeks. Jake FitzGerald 112 Posted 04/07/2025 at 16:58:05 Paul @105 No - what I meant was - as a way of acclimatising him quickly into the PL - thats one scenario.Personally I reckon Barry will play more games than Beto this season. Danny O'Neill 113 Posted 04/07/2025 at 17:04:57 I asked my cousin Paul. Again, an opinion, but he watches Chelsea every week. His response was "mixed". Showed promise, but didn't quite pull through. Different circumstances considering where Chelsea were in comparison to Everton, admittedly, but he wasn't convinced. All opinions obviously.Another way of looking at those stats, is that is 21 goals in 58 appearances over 4, maybe 5 seasons? Hard to measure, which is why I'm not a big fan of stats.It doesn't matter now, he's off to Turkey and was never linked with Everton.Dave, the chaos and panic Beto creates at times doesn't just disrupt opposition defences, it confuses the player himself!!! You just don't know what's going to happen.Another way of looking at those statistics is that is Dave Abrahams 114 Posted 04/07/2025 at 17:14:17 Danny (113) Yes that's true but he certainly upsets defenders Danny and was it you who pointed out the space he made for Alcaraz to score that goal at Fulham or was it another Everton player who created that space.I realise that Beto has plenty of faults and can look comical at times and I've said so but I've also said that while he continues to score goals he's doing a good job. Dave Abrahams 115 Posted 04/07/2025 at 17:51:40 Danny (115) Yes Newcastle Danny not Fulham, sorry my mistake. Mike Gaynes 116 Posted 04/07/2025 at 17:53:50 Dave and Danny, agreed, but what I like about Beto most of all right now is his improvement. Hes a significantly better player on and off the ball than when he came to us, and he is exponentially more confident. Hell never be a superstar, and there are certainly better strikers out there, but I remain convinced he will never let us down. Dave Abrahams 117 Posted 04/07/2025 at 18:01:00 Mike (117) Well Mike, Ill give you he is a lot more confidant and his endeavour certainly cant be faulted. Mike Gaynes 118 Posted 04/07/2025 at 18:06:09 Dave, lets hope our newest signing improves along those same lines! Robert Tressell 119 Posted 04/07/2025 at 18:41:26 Rob # 104, I have mixed feelings about that. He's done well at Villareal partly because he is a much, much more physical striker than you tend to see in Spain - and partly because Villareal are an excellent footballing side (in most games he plays, he's playing for the better team / with better players than the opposition).If Barry had come to Everton last summer it would have been much, much harder for him to have made the same sort of impact. And in any case, we had no money last summer. We couldn't have made the signing.Would we be better off buying someone cheaper who has more talent than Barry but hasn't yet shown it?Quite possibly, yes, but there aren't lots of candidates. Personally, I would have prioritised the RW spot - but I guess we all have to reserve judgement until after the window closes and we can see what our squad looks like compared to everyone else. Jake FitzGerald 120 Posted 04/07/2025 at 18:48:56 We desperately needed a goalscorer and we got one. Conor McCourt 121 Posted 04/07/2025 at 18:50:57 Mike I was clearly talking about Premier League goals but then again I suppose you could have worked that out.What I find surprising from that post is that from someone like myself who had endless debates with yourself and others that the squad was much better than it was showing under Dyche you are now using that form under David Moyes to suggest that Beto's form should be at least 'doubled' for next year.The problem with taking that approach is twofold;Firstly every player in the squad and particularly Beto were transformed with both TFG coming in and moreso the introduction of Moyes AND the relief of not having Dyche. The bounce was so great that for around 2 months we were operating in the top 5 since he came in. By the end of the season that figure had dropped to top 9. I would imagine we probably operated around the 10 th to 12th in the table after the honeymoon period where many of us feel the squad should have been. Beto's output dipped as our form dipped.Secondly and more specifically to Beto the vast proportion of his goals came via the same way. A beautiful slide rule pass, excellent movement behind either a static defender or one who tried to push and a cool slide pass finish.As a defensive unit coaches know what Beto's threat is and how to deal with it. He ain't gonna score a left goal, he ain't gonna twist and turn like Dominic did against Spurs, he ain't gonna dnk the keeper or show him one way and put it in the other. He will score the odd header and the odd poachers goal but he doesn't really come alive in the box.I'm sure Beto will score more than he would have under Dyche like all our attackers will and I hope I'm wrong but I stand by the double figure cut off. Ryan Holroyd 122 Posted 04/07/2025 at 19:17:10 We could just give Barry a chance. But no!It's the Everton way to dismiss a player before he's even signed.Then ‘fans' wonder why players want to leave asap. Danny O'Neill 123 Posted 04/07/2025 at 19:46:24 I personally wouldn't tar every Everton supporter with that brush Ryan. And we are all 'fans', just sometimes have different views. Christ, I even have that with some of my closest Evertonian mates and family.I certainly haven't heard or seen that sentiment from many.Most of us haven't followed or watched him play apart from a few games in the U21s Euros, which is hardly enough to forge an opinion. I'm looking forward to him signing if we get it over the line and can then judge him in an Everton shirt. Ryan Holroyd 124 Posted 04/07/2025 at 19:51:35 Kyle Walker going to Burnley. Wonder if we will keep O'Brien as right-back? Not taring every Everton fan at all, Danny. Just people who write players off before they've even played a second. Danny O'Neill 125 Posted 04/07/2025 at 19:55:31 Understood Ryan. It just didn't come across like that at first, but I agree. Let's see him play for Everton first. Dermot O'Brien 126 Posted 04/07/2025 at 21:04:46 God he must be only inches away now, sitting in his glacier powered car. Paul Kossoff 127 Posted 04/07/2025 at 23:46:51 Apparently Moyes wants Kyle Walker Peters, free transfer, £20,000 a week.play either side, 28, no brainer? Ryan Holroyd 128 Posted 05/07/2025 at 00:02:39 Be on a lot more than 20k a week Brendan McLaughlin 129 Posted 05/07/2025 at 00:05:48 Paul #127Does Moyes share his "wet dreams" with you? Ian Wilkins 130 Posted 05/07/2025 at 08:43:13 Moyes said of Beto ‘ I wish Id worked with him years ago meaning he believes he could have used his attributes and developed a different player. At 27, he can still improve but development is limited. He has the chance to develop the 22 year old Barry, who possesses height, skill and pace into the rounded striker that he wants. Time will tell. It will be interesting to see them both in our squad. Grant Rorrison 131 Posted 05/07/2025 at 09:38:29 Conor 121."Beto's output dipped as our form dipped."Our form dipped because Beto stopped scoring. Not because Premier League coaches had got wise to his limited skill set but because he just started missing for a while where formally he had been scoring. He then began scoring again towards the last few games. He'll do that this season too and any further seasons he has, wherever he has them, in the remainder of his career. He isn't some world class, super human striker that will score 41 goals in 42 games. But he has demonstrated that he scores about a goal per 2 starts everywhere he's played providing those starts consist of sufficient minutes. He's the least of our worries and it's silly to sell our only remaining senior striker and have to integrate 2 new ones at the same time with all the pitfalls that involves. Conor McCourt 132 Posted 05/07/2025 at 11:48:38 Grant can you not read?I was giving reasons why he won't score 15 to 25 goals this season as many on this thread have forecasted. Coaches may have not understood his threat since he was only a bumbling awkward nuisance for 1.5 seasons. After his purple spell they will know his threat now.You have come to the conclusion that our form dipped because Beto's output dipped. I strongly disagree and feel both are interlinked. Both form and performances of the entire team naturally dipped from the first two months. "He has demonstrated he's scored about 1 in 2 everywhere he's played provided those starts consist of sufficient minutes".Has he really Grant? Under Dyche he started 11PL games and scored 1 goal. Plenty of minutes, not a great return, indeed he stunk the place out. Even under Moyes after his purple patch of about 4 games he was 2 in 10 starts. Again plenty of minutes not a great return.Finally Grant you can't help yourself to take another little snide dig at Ferguson in your last paragraph, a player you seem to know very little about. You may find it silly to replace a 25 million signings whose purple patch for Everton lasted about 4 games in 2 years with a guy whose purple patch lasted for about 1.5 years as a wet behind the ears youth product who has legitimate reasons for his downturn.I could see having a triumvirate of Barry, Ferguson and Chermiti as being transformational and with Ndiaye as back up (McNeill deputising) there would be nothing silly about it especially with Ferguson having a full preseason behind him which he missed last season and a manager who he would most likely excel under. Danny O'Neill 133 Posted 05/07/2025 at 12:07:46 The team's form dipped after the initial new manager bounce. It wasn't just down to one player.I thought Beto played quite well, despite his limitations. He was unlucky on a number of occasions. Well taken goal against Fulham, denied by a great point blank save against Southampton, created space for Alcaraz against Newcastle. Sometimes a strikers job is more that getting the goal himself.I can agree with a lot of what both Grant and Conor are saying, I can disagree with some of it.But Conor, Ndiaye isn't playing backup to anyone. Firstly, he's not a striker. Secondly, he's to valuable to the team. He'll play in the 3 behind the striker(s). Likewise McNeil. He's not playing up front. Tony Abrahams 134 Posted 05/07/2025 at 12:18:51 What are Ferguson's legitimate reasons for going through an indifferent spell, Conor?I ask because it genuinely intrigues me. Roberto Martinez, was the first person who really highlighted how a lot of young players don't develop properly in England, because they don't get enough game time in those crucial years and I'm wondering if this is something that has affected Evan Ferguson?Players have also got to feel loved, and when you can't make the breakthrough and are being forced out on loan, this can also have a negative effect on a lot of young footballers.Robert T, talks a lot of sense, but when he says things like we need to spend £300 million on recruitment, just to catch up on clubs like Villa, (even if they might just be genuine dark horses, imo next season) it sometimes leaves me scratching my head.I'm not saying Robert is wrong, I just think that sometimes it's about being brave and creative, rather than just spending money, which is definitely what it looks like you're trying to be with your choice of those three centre-forwards, Conor? Conor McCourt 135 Posted 05/07/2025 at 12:31:36 Danny, I was debating the point Grant made about the pitfalls of having a striker new to the country and one who has to rediscover form and fitness.Bud, I wasn't suggesting Ndiaye as our first choice or 4th choice striker. Ndiaye would be our first choice left attacker but McNeill is an able deputy there if needs be (not CF).You say he can't play as a number 9 yet he scored 10 goals and 11 assists in 49 appearances there in the 3 seasons before he came to Everton. Ndiaye s best and natural position is as a second striker where his numbers are superb but he can play up top as well as he does on the wing.Put it this way, Danny: before Frank moved Wissa up top due to enforced circumstances (the player he bought to replace Toney was out for the season), you would have said the same thing. Indeed, Wissa would have had a lot more to prove. Peter Mitchell 136 Posted 05/07/2025 at 12:49:47 Danny @133 - I think it is a little harsh to say that there was an initial new manager bounce and then a tail-off in performance generally. Under the new manager, the team (across half a season) managed to accrue the whole-season equivalent of 62 points. That's a pretty amazing return with the squad inherited in my view and a long time for a "bounce". The drop off in results (rather than performances in my view) related to the quality of opposition. Remember, we won the last 3 matches as well – was that a double bounce? Danny O'Neill 137 Posted 05/07/2025 at 13:06:20 I kind of could read between the lines Conor, like I said, I can agree with a lot of what you and Grant both said.I get confused with all of these new phrases. I managed to fathom out the number 10 (aka supporting forward).Towards the end of the season, McNeil was a so-called reverse winger. So a left footed played on the right.I've just about fathomed out low block. To me, nothing new. If you are first in line, go to the ball and put your body in front of it. Nothing new there.And don't start me on the so-called false 9. I still struggle to know what that means. You don't have a striker?I can't speak too much for Brentford. Wissa impressed, but the one who did the most was Mbeumo, now subject to speculation of interest from Manchester United. Andrew Clare 138 Posted 05/07/2025 at 13:10:50 Have we signed anyone yet? Grant Rorrison 139 Posted 05/07/2025 at 14:01:53 "I was giving reasons why he won't score 15 to 25 goals this season as many on this thread have forecasted. " Yes, and your argument makes absolutely no sense. It was based on claiming that Beto is a one trick pony and Premier League managers would get wise to it and nullify him as a threat. Yet, throughout the entire 19 games in the league under Moyes, Beto has had chances to score goals. He's just been missing them during his barren run.."Coaches may have not understood his threat since he was only a bumbling awkward nuisance for 1.5 seasons. After his purple spell they will know his threat now." You cant be much more than that with Sean Dyche as your coach. "You have come to the conclusion that our form dipped because Beto's output dipped. I strongly disagree and feel both are interlinked. Both form and performances of the entire team naturally dipped from the first two months." Yes, that's because I watched him miss a sitter to beat Wolves. Fail when one-on-one three times against Brentford, etc. I don't think we've had many bad performances, per say, since Moyes came back. Even if some of the results weren't the best. I don't buy your performances dipped argument. "Has he really Grant? Under Dyche he started 11PL games and scored 1 goal. Plenty of minutes, not a great return, indeed he stunk the place out. Even under Moyes after his purple patch of about 4 games he was 2 in 10 starts. Again plenty of minutes not a great return." In the last 6 years Beto's minutes on a football pitch come to 102 to 103 matches worth. He has scored 45 goals which works out at 2.28 games per goal or about a goal every 2 games based upon minutes as I said. But yeah, if you ignore this and take away that and just focus on the other. "Finally Grant you can't help yourself to take another little snide dig at Ferguson in your last paragraph, a player you seem to know very little about. You may find it silly to replace a 25 million signings whose purple patch for Everton lasted about 4 games in 2 years with a guy whose purple patch lasted for about 1.5 years as a wet behind the ears youth product who has legitimate reasons for his downturn." I never mentioned Ferguson. Beto has consistently scored at the same rate for 6 years, in 3 different countries with different teams. He has averaged only 17 full 90 minutes worth of minutes a season during that time. Ironically his near 1600 minutes worth of football this season comes to. nearly 17 full games. Reasonable to assume that if a guy who gets about 17 games worth of minutes had twice that amount he would certainly score more goals even if not double. "I could see having a triumvirate of Barry, Ferguson and Chermiti as being transformational " You can see a bloke who's done nothing at the club in 2 years. A bloke who is unproven and one that is crocked as being 'transformative' ? Yeah, maybe you're right. Conor McCourt 140 Posted 05/07/2025 at 15:46:29 We have a 20 goal striker on our books if only these clowns like Dyche and Moyes would keep playing him for the full 90 minutes. Why did Moyes prefer Calvert Lewin to him when fit?Why did Moyes play an unfit Broja even after he had banged 5 goals in for him?Why does he get hooked or dropped so often throughout his career? Do they not know he's a 1 in 2 striker.Why have successive managers not looked at what he did in the 3rd tier of Portuguese football where he scored 21 league goals in 34 games. Let's ignore the fact he has scored 45 goals in 166 games in top flight football including the Portuguese league which is Championship standard. "He has scored consistently for the last 8 years", Grant yes at a level of just better than 1 goal every 4 games in top flight football and never more than 13 which was in the Portuguese league. Oh I blame Sean Dyche for that or even better he just missed chances he normally scores. Why are we signing Barry when Beto is going to bang 20 for us next season if we just play him for the full 90? I wonder who Moyes will start?You don't think we performed better in the first two months. The only difference was Beto but now we can presume Beto will score 20 because Dyche ain't here and he scores 1 in 2 everywhere he's been.. Thanks Grant really looking forward to this season now. Considering we were top 9 since Moyes came in, top 5 when Beto was on fire. Beto to score 20 and the squad strengthening taking place we are shoe-ins for the Champions League placings now. You've made my day. Robert Tressell 141 Posted 05/07/2025 at 16:18:23 If we sign Barry - I expect Moyes will still start Beto initially. Beto knows the ropes, knows the league and has had time to work with his teammates.That is a good thing. It gives Barry a chance to acclimatise and settle in without undue pressure to deliver from day 1. It is a really tough league and a very different style of play to what he'll have been used to at Villareal.Hopefully by the latter end of the season we will see a player emerging who can become genuinely better than a Beto / DCL standard player. Conor McCourt 142 Posted 05/07/2025 at 16:22:07 Tony much of what you say. Ferguson got a couple of minor injuries(perhaps growing into his body?), Brighton strengthened after qualifying for Europe, he didn't hit it off with Pedro when he did play. He still looked decent enough though. Both Potter and De Zerbi rated him highly.Towards the end of the season he done his ankle ligaments and missed the following preseason coming back in September. Hurzeler didn't rate him from the outset but in fairness he looked like a rugby player as opposed to a footballer when he came back, unrecognisable from the previous two seasons. He just never got started last season so I would just write it off. Legitimate maybe the wrong word, explainable would be better.My view is hypothetically had he not been injured last summer and we were linked there would be tremendous excitement and even incredulity that we got him. As you say he needs a home, a manager to believe in him and to get his head down and work his balls off in preseason. His finishing is unreal and he has that ability that few strikers have to hit the ball so early that keepers aren't set. If you remember how Dominic improved from Silva to Big Dunc, I could see similar with Moyes as Ferguson has only played in those possession based set ups so far in his fledgling career. Tony Abrahams 143 Posted 05/07/2025 at 17:03:05 Some good food for thought Conor. Ive only seen him doing really well in an under twenty one game against Everton, a few years ago, when he looked sensational, but because I dont watch much football now, I havent seen enough of him to have formed a proper opinion.Missing pre-season for younger players cant be underestimated (it took Jarrod Brainthwaite a long time to get going when he returned) but if Everton sign Barry, I dont think they will also sign Ferguson, even though you have given reasons why it might be a very good idea. We will see. Martin Mason 144 Posted 05/07/2025 at 17:07:50 Robert@141There is just a chance that he'll shine. The club need to blood him into the team in the right way and we fans must give him chance to do it before getting on his Fleetwood. We deserve a break on quality of transfers. Ian Bennett 145 Posted 05/07/2025 at 17:31:13 Conor - I don't have an issue with Moyes trying Broja for a game or two. Moyes would have had grief if he hadn't tried him. Derek Powell 146 Posted 05/07/2025 at 17:52:15 How much longer is this transfer gonna drag on for either the player is waiting on another club or daves dithering ffs get it done Rob Halligan 147 Posted 05/07/2025 at 17:55:51 Derek, the deal might have already been completed (or maybe not), but the club dont want to announce it today due to the funerals of Jota and his brother taking place today. Grant Rorrison 148 Posted 05/07/2025 at 19:26:46 Conor 140.You think the Portuguese league is 'Championship standard' and yet in your previous post you claim that Chermiti, who has only ever played in it and didn't make much of an impression, will be 'transformative' for us next season? This along with someone who, by your own admission, is a crocked 'rugby player' whose confidence is shot due to serious injury and going nearly a year between goals? I don't know who would start out of Barry and Beto. But if it's out of Barry and the two you mention, it had better be Barry or we're fucked. Beto has only started 24 Premier League games in 2 seasons and has scored 11 goals. 1 short of a goal every 2 starts. What's to not understand about the claim that, if he played more, he'd score more and get to that magical figure you think is beyond him? Danny O'Neill 149 Posted 06/07/2025 at 06:42:36 I too don't know a lot about Ferguson. I've not paid much attention and hadn't really heard of him until his name appeared on TW pages. Obviously those who have watched and followed him rate him. I don't think he's in the mix though.As for Beto v Barry (if or when he signs), then that's one for the manager when he picks his team. At least he will have options. Eric Myles 150 Posted 06/07/2025 at 07:32:56 Robert #141, if Moyes does that, expect in a few years down the line comments that "Moyes didn't trust him" — just as we get now with Baines and Coleman. Sam Hoare 151 Posted 06/07/2025 at 08:59:39 As I've said before we don't need a third, central frontline striker like Ferguson. Or it's certainly not a priority. Very few teams have more than one or two!What we desperately need is some more versatile forwards who can create and score to play around Beto and Barry. We currently only have Ndiaye, Mcneill and Alcaraz (and possibly Chermiti, unclear so far whether he has that flexibility) to fill in at LW, RW and 10/second striker.We need at least one if not two Richarlison types, who can play out wide or up front if in a pinch. Players like Salah, Mbuemo, Saka, Son, Palmer, Cunha, Eze etc who provide goals and assists without being central strikers.No point spending £25m on a third choice striker like Ferguson when we are terribly short in other areas. If he was to come on loan with an option to buy however then there may be some sense in that. Peter Hodgson 152 Posted 06/07/2025 at 11:37:17 We have been hearing for too long now that the deal for him is close to being completed. This smells like another Tete nogotiation. I am not really too bothered about him as I'm not sure about him but would welcome him if he signs. But this 'any minute now' saga is going on too long.I realise we needed to do the business in the new financial year and approvals need to be gained from the various authorities and that he is taking his holiday and presumably waiting around until he gets word that he is needed somewhere else for his medical. But what are our people doing to expidite matters when they know someone else could come in for him and pay the full release clause leaving us with egg on our face once again. I remember now. We are Everton, so it's okay. Sean Kelly 153 Posted 06/07/2025 at 12:27:20 Can we just getvv bc this done. Are we waiting on someone else to come in or cd are still searching down the sofa. The friedkins like to portray themselves as organised ans structured but the ghost of Billys past is still at work. FFS get it done. Eric Myles 154 Posted 06/07/2025 at 13:09:18 Peter #152 "But this 'any minute now' saga is going on too long."Just wait for the next headline and continued debate if he does sign!Sean #153 "but the ghost of Billys past is still at work."Exactly what I was thinking.But it's more likely Davey Dithering. ;-) Colin Glassar 155 Posted 06/07/2025 at 13:18:16 Everton are waiting for spurs or West Ham to make an offer first. Then the pre-prepared script of, “we tried but couldnt get it done on time” statement🙄🙄 Eric Myles 156 Posted 06/07/2025 at 13:27:43 Colin, and don't forget we offered less than the buy-out clause! Peter Hodgson 157 Posted 06/07/2025 at 13:42:22 Yes, Eric, you are right, I think. We have had that offer accepted by Villarreal but I suspect it is they who are delaying things, waiting for someone to come in with the release clause amount which they will accept straight away and we will be out in the cold once more. Maybe wrong but that is what it smells like to me. Rob Halligan 158 Posted 06/07/2025 at 13:44:24 I'm guessing, and hoping, that the club will not be making any announcements on the official site, or anywhere else, regarding Gana Gueye and Thierno Barry due to the tragic events over the past few days. The OS has been very quiet since Thursday morning as a sign of respect to Diogo Jota and his brother. Ryan Holroyd 159 Posted 06/07/2025 at 13:54:32 Barry is on holiday in Miami so he's definitely not signed yet. Peter Hodgson 160 Posted 06/07/2025 at 14:04:20 I'm not sure that the football world operates like that, Rob. It is a bit more dog-eat-dog environment and to think and do in a glass half full way, admirable as it is, is not how I think clubs operate. Getting one over on their competitors at every opportunity is more like it. It hasn't, for example, stopped the Gunners announcing the signing of a player from Spain today nor someone signing Kyle Walker from City yesterday. Rob Halligan 161 Posted 06/07/2025 at 14:13:46 True Peter, but neither of those clubs are neighbours of Liverpool. The first team returned to training on Friday, and usually there are cameras and video cameras everywhere around Finch Farm, showing players returning, doing medical tests, slight jogging, the lot, which would be on the club website on the same day, but there has been nothing at all. In fact, in four days there has been one story on first team matters, the signing of Michael Keane on Friday, which happened to fall in-between the death of Jota on Thursday, and the funerals yesterday. Like I say, I'm just guessing and hoping this is the only reason. Derek Powell 162 Posted 06/07/2025 at 17:20:01 If we don't get our finger out and start getting involved in the transfer market and bringing quality players in, I fear for us this season. 12 players gone – it's a big hole to fill and with some of our players' injury records, god forbid we have key injuries. Peter Hodgson 163 Posted 06/07/2025 at 20:40:37 Mike @ 166 - Like I said believe what you want. I was offering an alterative view as the so called confitmation that Gana had signed his extension. It has not yet been repeated on any official site. Until it is I will take with a large pinch of salt any suggestions to the contrary.Others will be well advised to to do the same but as I said "believe what you want". The same goes for our alledged new number 9. I wil believe it when I see it with both of them.Which neatly brings me on to our new recruitment team (or should I say non recruitment team), which is quite possibly being too hard on them. Please forgive me for this but I, so far at least, fail to be impressed with their results compared with Thelwell. Andrew Ellams 164 Posted 06/07/2025 at 20:47:33 Peter, you're not happy with the results of people who've been in their jobs for a matter of weeks? Peter Hodgson 165 Posted 06/07/2025 at 20:58:42 There appears to have been a number of posts deleted. My post @163 referrring to post 166 was one of those which has now gone. Grant Rorrison 166 Posted 06/07/2025 at 21:21:09 How can you write a post at 163 about a post (166) that hasn't happened yet? Brent Stephens 167 Posted 06/07/2025 at 21:23:10 Grant #170, please don't argue - I've already told you it's the power of prediction. Rob Halligan 168 Posted 06/07/2025 at 21:29:34 Peter # 165….your post # 163 is still there, though who it refers too fuck knows! Add Your Comments In order to post a comment, you need to be logged in as a registered user of the site. » Log in now Or Sign up as a ToffeeWeb Member — it's free, takes just a few minutes and will allow you to post your comments on articles and Talking Points submissions across the site. How to get rid of these ads and support TW © ToffeeWeb