The NSNO Everton Forums

Jimmywhack wrote: ↑Thu Jul 03, 2025 5:29 pm Who is this Lorenzo fella? Ndidi wouldn't have been a bad signing about 6 years ago

Everton are close to completing a £27.5m move for top striker target Thierno Barry as the club make the most of loosening financial restrictions to start an unprecedented recruitment drive.

The i Paper has been told that an agreement with Villarreal is now “close” for the France Under-21 forward, who has also agreed personal terms.

Insiders suggest that the club will be flexing their muscles in the transfer market this summer – although with so many positions to fill, they must maintain financial discipline, which is why talks have been so exhaustive on Barry.

A breakthrough is now close, however, with the clubs discussing potential add-ons that could lift the transfer closer to £32m.

Sources in Spain suggest that an agreement could be reached by the end of the week – although next week is more likely for any official announcement if things go to plan. He is set to sign a five-year contract.

David Moyes wants his new-look Everton to have pace, power and play more on the front foot than the teams of the last two years, who have been among the Premier League’s lowest scorers. He is eyeing a number of additional attacking recruits.

But Barry would be a major tick in the recruitment box for Everton, who needed to find a replacement for the departing Dominic Calvert-Lewin, while insiders suggest that the number of new arrivals could stretch into double figures given the number of slots that need to be filled.

Everton are working on a number of new signings while also moving closer to agreeing new deals for experienced duo Michael Keane and Idrissa Gueye.

As revealed by The i Paper last week, Gueye’s deal is for an initial year with the option of a second year that would be triggered by playing a set number of games.

The unprecedented nature of Everton’s squad rebuild means they have had things in place and ready to go as soon as 1 July, which serves as the start of the new accounting year for the purposes of the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR).

With the Barry deal progressing, it is understood that the Toffees are also in contact with a number of potential free-agent signings to lift competition levels in the squad, with ex-Norwich goalkeeper Angus Gunn offered to the club as potential back-up for Jordan Pickford.

There was a further sign of Everton’s bullish new era with Jarrad Branthwaite signing a new five-year contract on Wednesday that will keep him at the Hill Dickinson Stadium until 2030, warding off interest, at least for now, from the likes of Tottenham and Manchester United.

Branthwaite has committed to the club, saying that he has been impressed by the ambition shown by The Friedkin Group and Moyes, who believes that the defender has a “huge role” to play in the new era.

There were some worries that Branthwaite’s omission from the England team might encourage him to look at other opportunities, but Everton have always been adamant that he’s not for sale.

“I’ve been at Everton for five-and-a-half years now and I’ve seen the change the club’s had over the past six months,” Branthwaite said.

“It’s very exciting for us as a team, as players, to have that going on in the background and obviously to be starting the new season at the new stadium.

“The ambition was a huge thing. The way the manager wants us to go as a team, what he wants us to do next season and what he wants us to challenge for has had a big impact on the decision.”

Cods wrote: ↑Thu Jul 03, 2025 8:33 pm Another article I was reading that provided a very similar overall assessment, suggested:

"The report adds that the Scotsman is looking to add pace and power to his front line, which ultimately doesn’t sound great for the future of Beto."

Well if Beto doesn't have pace and power then I'm not sure what he actually has...

I don't think any of them really know what Moyes and TFG are planning at all, speculation appears to bounce between a lot of these news outlets and accumulated, and seemingly none(?) provide any quotes or sources.

The dozen departures from our squad more or less dictates that they all need replacing, so these journos seem to simply be joining the dots, checking a few fans forums, and having a best guess.

Bluedylan1 wrote: ↑Thu Jul 03, 2025 9:35 pm I think Inews (and Mark Douglas in particular) have actually been pretty ahead of the curve with info and insight relating to us this year, so while I agree with the general point, I think there are exceptions if you seek them out.