Everton Thierno Barry transfer talks could accelerate after hurdles start to clear

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a day ago

The path is opening up for talks with Villarreal over Thierno Barry to advance should Everton wish to forge a deal for the starlet. The Blues hold a genuine interest in the 22-year-old, who scored 11 times in La Liga last season and has a release clause of around £34m.
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A flurry of reports on Wednesday suggested Everton were continuing to explore a deal, though were looking to negotiate a lower fee for the forward.
As interest persists, potential obstacles to a deal are diminishing. The summer transfer window has remained relatively calm over recent weeks for a host of reasons that include Premier League clubs operating with caution until the beginning of the new football financial year next week.
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Several, including the Blues, are still in talks with players whose contracts are due to expire at the end of June, too.
Another reason is the amount of football still being played, with the Club World Cup ongoing in the US and the European Under-21 Championship unfolding in Slovakia.
Barry has been representing France in the tournament and was a second-half substitute as his side lost 3-0 in the semi-finals to Germany on Wednesday. Germany will now face England in the final on Saturday.
The end of Barry's involvement in the competition could make it easier to move a deal forward, while it also now appears his club manager will not stand in the way of an exit.
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Speaking to Futbol Fantasy via El Larguero, Marcelino appeared braced for the loss of the youngster and prepared to accept it rather than demand club chiefs put their foot down.
He said: "If Villarreal believes that, with the investment they've made and what they can receive in just one year, plus the performance they've given, this transaction should be carried out, and if the player himself wants to look for a new destination, then we accept it and will look for solutions so that the team doesn't weaken."
Barry is one of several players on Everton's radar. The club has already signed Carlos Alcaraz following his successful loan spell from Flamengo and remains hopeful of bringing Kenny Tete to the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
The 29-year-old right back has been in talks with the Blues and is currently due to leave Fulham when his current contract expires next week. The Craven Cottage outfit had offered him new terms that were on the table when the season ended and the ECHO understands there remains a desire to keep him at the club.
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Everton are on the lookout for additional options in midfield and to bring in talent on the right wing over the summer, with both areas in need of strengthening.
Reported pursuits of Raphael Onyedika, of Club Brugge, and Ipswich Town's England U21s starlet Omari Hutchinson, are understood to be premature at this stage of the window, however.