RB Leipzig have already made an enquiry for Thierno Barry, and Everton now have an early summer decision on their hands. Barry joined from Villarreal for £27m last summer, featured in every Premier League match in his debut season, and finished with 8 goals in 41 appearances across all competitions.

Why Everton have a real decision to make

The numbers explain why this is not a simple call. Barry's output was modest for a £27m signing, but he was also used heavily enough to stay involved throughout the season. He made 21 Premier League starts across Everton's league campaign, so this is not a player who drifted out of the squad. It is a question of how much Everton still value the upside against the production they have already seen.

There is also the wider club picture. Everton finished 13th in the Premier League with 49 points, and their recent league form was LLDDL. That gives David Moyes and the recruitment team room to rethink the attack rather than treat every squad piece as untouchable. Liam Delap is also being explored as a potential target, while Ayase Ueda, who scored 26 goals in 40 appearances for Feyenoord, has been linked too.

Why Leipzig can sell the move

Leipzig are not coming at this from a weak position. They finished 3rd in the Bundesliga with 65 points from 34 matches, and that Champions League return gives them a real pitch to make. Marcel Schafer said the club had carried out a "thorough final review" of the season and that they believe the challenges ahead require "new ideas and a different approach". Jurgen Klopp said, "We are acting in an advisory capacity as the Global Team. But we were involved in the decision-making process and analysed the season. Ole (Werner) did a fantastic job. We qualified for the Champions League."

That matters because the football case is straightforward enough. Leipzig can point to European football and a clear sporting project. Everton can point to a player who played in every league game and gave them 8 goals in 41 appearances. The interesting part is not whether Barry has value, because he clearly does. It is whether Everton think this is the right time to cash in on a striker they only signed a year ago.

If Leipzig push harder, Everton will have to decide whether Barry is part of the next version of the squad or one of the first names they are prepared to move on from this summer.

Compiled by the ClutchBrief Desk with AI assistance, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →