Just twenty two years old but six foot four and a real handful, Thierno Barry is the young French striker who has created an immediate impact at the u21 Euros by coming off the bench and scoring in the 102nd minute to seal his side’s 3-2 win over Georgia. And a pretty brave header it was to win the game, risking a collision with a defender and the ‘keeper.
Suggesting West Ham have on the young mans trail for a while, givemesport.com report that the Hammers have been watching the Villarreal striker for months. They describe Barry as “frightening”. He certainly fits the new-era data driven pattern, being the right age and fitness profile to be on the West Ham shortlist.
However that is where the ‘West Ham friendly’ suggestion ends. One look at the price suggested – a scary £35 million – is enough to write off any prospect of this young man donning the Claret and Blue.
£35 million maybe be ‘mainstream modest money’ for a goalscorer who hit 11 last season in La Liga – but the Hammers don’t have that kind of cash to spend at present, without the ‘player sales’ narrative with which we are all now painfully familiar.
I suspect that will be the catch with Thierno Barry. At present about £15 million more than the Hammers want to pay. Shame.