Bundesliga Club Contact Everton For 23-Year-Old: Should Moyes Allow The Sale? | OneFootball

The transfer window is barely open, but the wheeling and dealing have already begun. RB Leipzig have contacted Everton over a deal for Thierno Barry. It was Paul Joyce who broke the news. The German club have put the French striker right at the top of their summer wishlist.

RB Leipzig lodge a formal approach for Everton forward Thierno Barry

He didn’t set the world on fire, but eight goals in his debut Premier League season is a decent return. Especially in a side that spent large chunks of the year looking over its shoulder. Leipzig want him. They see a towering, physical specimen who can lead the line in the Bundesliga. They like his raw ceiling.

Everton’s response? Don’t bother ringing back unless you’ve brought a massive cheque. The board are drawing a line in the sand. They will not lose a single penny on the 23-year-old. Financial Fair Play compliance means money is incredibly tight at Goodison Park. They need cash, yes, but letting a young asset leave on the cheap is just bad business. The hierarchy will insist on completely recovering their initial outlay, plus a healthy profit, before negotiations even start. It is going to take a huge package to move the needle.

Moyes must stand firm against German cash

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – MAY 04: Everton player Thierno Barry celebrates after scoring the first Everton goal during the Premier League match between Everton and Manchester City at Hill Dickinson Stadium on May 04, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

David Moyes has a massive call to make here. He needs to tell the board to block this move immediately unless the Germans offer absolutely silly money. Goal scorers are the rarest commodity in football. You can’t just replace them on a whim. Barry is a crucial building block for this squad. His physical presence up front is exactly what Moyes needs to make his system work.

Selling now would completely derail the club’s long-term ambitions. If he goes, who comes in? The recruitment team haven’t got the budget to find an equivalent replacement.

Money needs to be spent elsewhere, particularly in the engine room. Look at how Merlin Rohl arrived from Freiburg for £18 million; that is the sort of clever recruitment the club should replicate. Creative options are urgently required to replace the departing Idrissa Gueye and Seamus Coleman.

If Leipzig pay an absurd premium, take it and rebuild the midfield. If they don’t, keep the boy. Under proper coaching, Barry can push on and develop further next year. Retaining him offers stability for a proper top-eight push. Everton cannot keep repeating past mistakes by selling their best young talent for mediocre fees. Standing firm is the only way to protect the club’s future on the pitch.