Richard Keys urges Everton to sign a striker in January, slams Thierno Barry as ‘wasted money’ | OneFootball

Everton lost 4-1 to Newcastle United at the Hill Dickinson Stadium yesterday, as the Toffees fell to 14th place on the Premier League table.

The Toffees were outplayed, outfought, and outrun on their home turf, second-best for a massive chunk of the game.

Several Everton players were under par on the day, but many singled out striker Thierno Barry for criticism following a disappointing outing.

The Toffees signed Barry this summer, thinking he would be the lethal centre-forward to lead the line, but it is almost December, and he has yet to open his account.

He thought he had scored against Newcastle, but VAR ruled out his goal.

Barry had headed the ball into his own hand before an unconvincing finish still managed to hit the back of the net.

He lost the ball 11 times, 5/26 of his touches were unsuccessful, failed with his one attempted dribble, and won only 4/12 duels for the Merseyside club.

Veteran broadcaster Richard Keys believes Everton wasted money buying the 23-year-old and that he is not good enough.

Keys said on beIN Sports (via Inside Futbol), “You’ve got to go out and find a centre forward. They’ve wasted money on Barry. He’s nowhere near.

“Sometimes you look at a player, and you are frustrated by them because they are not quite what you think they should be, but they show you something, something you can work on.

“Barry, I’ve seen nothing. Nothing. There might be a reason he’s had five clubs in five seasons.”

But replacing Barry in January isn’t as simple as some make it sound.

The issue for Everton isn’t identifying the need for a new striker. It’s finding one who is both attainable and willing to move mid-season.

The January market is notoriously thin, and the calibre of forward the Toffees require isn’t readily available.

They’ve been linked with Ivan Toney, but his wage demands are out of Everton’s range.

Arsenal have no intention of letting Gabriel Jesus leave, especially with their title push in full swing.

And Joshua Zirkzee, another name thrown around, has struggled in England and hardly fits the profile of a guaranteed Premier League goalscorer.

Signing a new striker might sound like the solution, but the real challenge is locating one worth the investment.