Although they showed some good signs under David Moyes at the end of last season, Everton certainly had their struggles in front of goal.

The Toffees’ main centre-forward options last season were Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who could leave this summer with his contract set to expire, and Guinea-Bissau international Beto.

As per Understat, the Toffees were outscored by all but three teams in the Premier League in 2024/25, the trio of relegated sides. They found the back of the net just 42 times, and with an expected goals tally of 46.87 xG, they underachieved from where they should have been.

Everton fans might be glad to hear that their side are looking to bring a new striker to the Hill Dickinson Stadium before next season.

Everton’s centre-forward target

With Calvert-Lewin perhaps ready to leave the club, and Beto struggling for consistent form in front of goal, it surely is no surprise that the club on the Blue half of Merseyside are looking to recruit a new number nine.

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Well, it seems like Moyes’ side have found the man they’d like to sign. According to a recent report from The i Paper, ‘the club are in talks’ with Spanish side Villarreal over a move for their striker, Frenchman Thierno Barry.

The France U21 international seems to be ‘keen’ on the idea of a move to Bramley-Moore Dock, next to which the Toffees’ new ground is situated.

He has a £40m release clause in his current deal with the Yellow Submarine, but Everton ‘want to negotiate a lower fee’ instead.

How Barry compares to Beto

Everton’s hunt for Barry has been well documented over the past few weeks. It is clear he is the guy they want to lead the line as they enter a new era in their new stadium this summer. He has certainly impressed for Villarreal last season.

The 22-year-old, who was born in Lyon, France, played 41 games in all competitions last season. In that time, he scored 19 goals and grabbed four assists, leaving him with an average of roughly a goal involvement every other game.

In La Liga during the 2024/35 campaign, Barry was hugely impressive. He made 35 appearances, finding the back of the net 11 times and grabbing a further four assists. Perhaps the highlight of those 11 goals was a fantastic hat-trick in a 5-2 win over CD Leganes.

Those top-flight goal involvement numbers far exceed what Beto managed in the 2024/25 campaign for Everton. That, surely, is a positive for the Toffees, who will certainly want to improve on their 42 Premier League strikes from last term.

The Merseysider’s number 14 played 30 times in the Premier League, but only managed to score eight goals. He also failed to register an assist, suggesting he is less of a playmaker than Barry, who chipped in with a few last term.

Football scout Antonio Mango explained that Barry has an “elite profile”. Perhaps the fact that he is able to facilitate teammates and create chances for them is an example of the well-rounded profile Mango was alluding to.

Well, the underlying stats on FBref suggest that Barry would be a huge upgrade on Beto, too. For example, the Villarreal striker averaged 0.7 goals and assists and 0.23 goal-creating actions per 90 minutes last season. In comparison, the Toffees centre-forward averaged 0.47 goals and assists and 0.06 goal-creating actions each game.

Barry and Beto key stats 2024/25 compared

Stat (per 90)

Beto

Barry

Goals and assists

0.47

0.70

Goals per shot on target

0.35

0.45

Key passes

0.71

0.89

Shot-creating actions

1.53

1.78

Goal-creating actions

0.06

0.23

Progressive carries

0.88

1.71

Progressive passes

0.94

1.05

Stats from FBref

The stats suggest that Barry would be a big upgrade on Beto. Not only is he more clinical in front of goal, but he is able to bring teammates into the game and is involved in his side’s goals far more often, even if that is indirectly.

Even if Everton pay the £40m Villarreal want, it seems like an excellent piece of business for a side who are looking to increase their output in front of goal next season.

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Everton have a Ligue 1 defender in their sights

Posts ByRoss Kilvington Jun 24, 2025

Newcastle United enter the market looking to build on the success of last campaign and now find themselves in the mix for a young defender who could add another layer of solidity under Eddie Howe, according to a report.

Newcastle United see bid turned down for Anthony Elanga

Some Premier League fans could’ve been forgiven for wondering if there was much transfer business going on at the Magpies at an early stage in the window, but it is clear that signs of life are starting to show as Eddie Howe scours the market.

David Ornstein delivered some intriguing news yesterday, detailing that Newcastle have saw a bid in the region of £45 million turned down for Anthony Elanga and also revealing Nottingham Forest’s stance on the Sweden international.

He stated on social media platform X: “Newcastle make offer to sign Anthony Elanga from Nottingham Forest. Bid in region of £45m. NFFC rejected without counter; no intention of selling Sweden int’l. NUFC considering whether to maintain pursuit or focus on other targets.”

Between the sticks, Newcastle are in advanced talks to sign Burnley stopper James Trafford for £30 million and could finally bring a long-winded saga to acquire the England Under-21 international to an end if all goes to plan.

Marcus Rashford is also a potential Magpies arrival on loan, albeit that may hinge on whether Brighton & Hove Albion forward Joao Pedro opts for St James’ Park or Stamford Bridge.

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All in all, there is plenty to be encouraged about in the North East, though supporters will be desperate to see more movement occur over the coming weeks ahead of the Magpies’ pre-season preparations.

They may well get their wish, with Newcastle now in the hunt for a central defender who had starred at the recent UEFA Under-21 EURO Championships.

Newcastle enter race to sign Cesar Tarrega

According to reports in Spain via Sport Witness, Newcastle, led by Howe, are looking to sign Cesar Tarrega from Valencia and there is also further interest in his services from unnamed Premier League clubs as well as in Italy from Bologna.

Standing at 6 foot 4, the 23-year-old made 38 appearances across all competitions last season, registering two goals and a solitary assist from central defence. His camp are aware of interest in his services.

Cesar Tarrega in La Liga – per 90 min (FBRef)

Tackles

1.46

Interceptions

0.65

Blocks

1.22

Clearances

6.60

Aerial duels won

2.59

His Serie A admirers view him as a potential replacement for Jhon Lucimi, though he reportedly wants to sign a contract extension at his current club, where he is tied to until the summer of 2028.

Appearing three times for Spain at the Under-21 European Championships, Tarrega’s stock is rising and Newcastle are now minded to convince him that a move to the North East would be the most beneficial for his development.

Juggling both domestic and European endeavours won’t be easy for the Magpies, so it makes sense to add strength in depth to lead the fight on all fronts in 2025/26.

Tamim questions team selection and calls for better batting surfaces to be produced back home

Mohammad Isam22-Jun-20240:54

Tamim: Bangladesh’s approach in the chase was disappointing

Bangladesh’s two most high-profile cricketers, Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal, were left disappointed with the team’s lack of intent against India in their T20 World Cup 2024 Super Eight game in Antigua.Shakib made 11 off seven balls having arrived at the crease in the 12th over with Bangladesh needing 121 runs at 14.23 per over. He rued the team’s lack of fight in the business end of the tournament as they made below-par scores of 140 for 8 and 146 for 8 against Australia and India respectively. The Bangladesh top order’s continued poor form hasn’t improved even on the Antigua pitches where batting is seemingly easier than on most surfaces in this tournament. Shakib said that they couldn’t even show their intent of wanting chasing India’s 196 runs in this game.”We have a 50 percent win rate in this World Cup but if we had fought against India and Australia the way we fought against South Africa, we could have called it a good World Cup campaign,” Shakib said. “We are short of runs as a batting unit. We made 140 in the last game, 146 today. We should have done better today since we had a target in front of us. We couldn’t even show it to people that we were trying [to chase the target] today. I don’t think the confidence was there. We have lacked in this area throughout the World Cup.Related

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“You have to bring your A-game against teams like Australia and India. I think we lacked in skill and strength. We couldn’t do the basics for longer periods to create pressure. Throughout this World Cup, I don’t think we justified ourselves as a batting unit. We are capable of scoring big runs. We were well short of par scores like 175-185 in the last two games, both played on good wickets. Maybe India scored 20 more runs today but we have to show the intent from the start of the innings. I don’t think it was there.”Tamim, in his capacity as an expert for ESPNcricinfo, said after the match that Bangladesh’s lack of intent with the bat surprised him against India. “[Najmul Hossain Shanto, Bangladesh’s captain] said that he should have finished the game but Bangladesh never got close in this contest. I didn’t understand why he would say that. Bangladesh’s batting has disappointed in this whole tournament. The think-tank really needs to think about how they will go from here on.”When your batters are scoring runs, you are confident that your batting line-up can chase down a total like 160 or 170. When you know that your batting is struggling, it surprised me that [Bangladesh] decided to bowl first. Couple of their decisions have surprised me in this game. Fingers will be pointed.”Tamim added that the Bangladesh team management’s decision to leave out Taskin Ahmed against India, bringing in the extra batter in Jaker Ali, left him surprised. Taskin had gone for some runs against Australia, but he is the team’s vice-captain, and someone looked upon as the bowling attack leader.”I was very surprised why Taskin didn’t play. Both the spinners went for plenty of runs. There was a time when India were in a bit of bother losing back-to-back wickets to Tanzim [Hasan Sakib]. If Taskin was there as an extra fast bowler, Bangladesh could have attacked India more. We know about Shivam Dube’s short-ball weakness. Taskin had the pace to use those tactics against him.”Mustafizur Rahman had an off-day with the ball•Associated PressTamim also felt that not giving the new ball to Mustafizur Rahman was a missed opportunity to take on Rohit Sharma’s talked-about weakness against left-arm pace, while he also felt that Tanzim could have been allowed to continue with the new ball because he was handling it well in the previous matches.”Everyone is talking about Rohit Sharma having a little weakness against left-arm fast bowling. It plays on the player’s mind when he is taking on a similar bowler in the game. Bangladesh had an opportunity to start with the left-arm seamer, just to have a look. India might have scored 196, but Rohit’s start was very important for India. That’s how momentum comes.”Tanzim did well with the new ball in the previous matches. He didn’t get the new ball today. Why do you have to change the whole setup for somebody else and even when someone is doing exceptionally well?”Dropping Taskin was mainly to boost the flagging batting line-up. It has been problematic for a long time, but since coming to North America last month, the top-order has caved against most bowling attacks. Shakib said that Bangladesh has a general batting tendency to do better on tricky wickets rather than on good batting pitches.”We don’t really do well when we play on flat wickets that produce 180-200 runs,” Shakib said. “We play better on wickets that produce 130-150 runs. That’s what we are familiar with. Apart from one game in BPL this year, our local batters haven’t really chased big runs. It remains our weakness.”Tamim further explained that the Bangladesh batters aren’t used to good batting wickets for many years. He said that they play on slow and low surfaces back home where they play most of their cricket, so when they encounter good ones in ICC tournaments, they get caught out not knowing what to do.”Bangladesh [usually] play in difficult wicket for batters. They also can’t start scoring runs freely when you put them in a very good wicket. You need to know how to score runs even on a good wicket. You need to know your limitations on which shots to play. I think there should be a long-term plan where Bangladesh should play on good wickets. They don’t get it in Mirpur.”Tamim said that even their marquee T20 tournament, the Bangladesh Premier League, failed to produce exciting cricket due to the nature of the pitches in the country. He said that the win-first (at home) nature of Bangladesh cricket has left the batters in the lurch.He suggested being patient with better pitches so that the batters can improve while the bowlers also pick up how to bowl on good batting surfaces.”BPL is a fantastic tournament but we couldn’t get wickets that excited the crowds. The last two years, scores have been higher. Teams are chasing 170-180, but we are so result-oriented in Bangladesh. If we have a very good wicket in the first game, the moment we lose that game, people are trying to make a spin-friendly track. I think not only players and coaches, the board also has to come out of that mentality. Let us lose for another six months, but let’s prepare wickets where bowlers and batters can learn. I think this is the only way forward for Bangladesh cricket.”

Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s Everton future is still unresolved, but that saga will have no bearing on David Moyes’ pursuit of a new centre-forward to take to the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Moyes took the reins from the beleaguered Sean Dyche in January and steered Everton toward a comfortable 13th-place finish, bagging 48 points.

But scoring goals has always been the crux of Everton’s wider problems, and that’s where the Toffees boss wants to make improvements this summer.

Everton approach club for new striker

According to Spanish outlet Cadena Ser, Villarreal’s Thierno Barry has been added to Everton’s shortlist, with the Toffees believed to have made an approach after asking about his situation.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

This comes amid the Merseysiders missing out on Liam Delap, who has signed for Chelsea in a £30m deal.

Barry, meanwhile, has club-hopped for two successive years and could be on the move once again, with a €40m (£34m) release clause in his contract.

However, the Yellow Submarine are keen to keep hold of their man. That said, The Friedkin Group were willing to green-light a move for Delap, and could now turn to Barry instead, with Villarreal sure to evaluate offers if their clause is indeed met.

What Thierno Barry would bring to Everton

Standing at 6 foot 4, Barry is a tall and powerful frontman whose efforts over the past several years have spoke of incremental progress.

Hailed for his “menacing” profile by talent scout Antonio Mango, the 22-year-old Barry appears to be the perfect kind of player for a Moyes system, having won 5.1 duels per La Liga game this term, as per Sofascore.

Indeed, FBref record Barry to rank among the top 1% of centre-forwards across Europe’s top five leagues this season for percentage of aerial battles won (67.3%) per 90, furthering the argument that he’s the man for the job.

He’s not quite so progressive a ball carrier as Delap, who ranks among the top 13% of forwards across Europe for progressive carries and the top 7% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref, but he’s every bit as brutish a talisman.

Barry began life on the senior stage prolifically indeed, although his term with Beveren was contested in the second tier of Belgian football. In any case, he’s showcased an exciting growth that could now be translated to life in the Premier League.

Delap, similarly, landed when making the big jump, having enjoyed a decent breakthrough campaign in the Championship with Hull City last year, scoring eight goals and adding two assists across 31 games for the Tigers.

However, he’s only gone from strength to strength across the past year, unable to prevent Ipswich Town’s relegation but impressing with a 12-goal return across 32 starts.

Barry, with his strength and confidence, might just prove to follow in Delap’s footsteps, even becoming a better version of the English talent. The Frenchman has a higher release clause, after all, while his 20 league goal involvements for 2024/25 ranked him ahead of Delap’s own return of 14.

There would be an element of risk in bringing a young and unproven talent over to Merseyside, but Everton appear to have turned a corner over the past six months, and if Moyes gets this one right, it could make the Toffees faithful forget all about Delap.

Perfect Branthwaite replacement: Everton considering bid to sign £30m star

Everton could lose Jarrad Branthwaite this summer, but appear to have the perfect replacement lined up.

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He is expected to be out of competitive cricket for at least three months

PTI12-Jun-2024

India fast-bowling allrounder Shardul Thakur has undergone a successful foot surgery, but is expected to be out of competitive cricket for at least three months.Thakur shared a post-surgery photo on his Instagram account on Wednesday, captioned “operated successfully”. It was his second foot surgery; the first one was five years ago in 2019.