Everton set Thierno Barry valuation as opening offer readied - report

Everton are willing to open negotiations to sell Thierno Barry in the ongoing transfer window.

RB Leipzig are reportedly interested in the former Villarreal striker and have an opening bid ready for the Toffees.

The Blues signed the 23-year-old for around £27.6million last summer, but there are doubts about his place in the team under David Moyes going into next season.

While the Hill Dickinson Stadium hierarchy are open to listening to proposals for Barry, they have no intention of making a loss on his sale.

Behind the scenes, the Merseyside outfit are said to be evaluating the centre-forward's future after he scored eight goals in 38 Premier League games this season.

The Blues are publicly taking a defensive stance regarding the young centre-forward, but they would apparently approve a sale for the right price.

Apart from RB Leipzig, Hoffenheim are also working behind the scenes to convince Barry over a move to Germany by presenting a pivotal role in their project.

At the Red Bull Arena, an initial offer is being prepared, which could consist of a loan with a buy option or a structured long-term payment plan with performance-related bonuses.

According to Fussballdaten on 23 June, the Toffees would consider offers in the range of £30m to £34.5m for the France Under-21 international to free up their wage bill and reinvest the money in the squad.

However, one hurdle the Bundesliga duo could face is matching Barry's demands, with the attacker wanting to maintain his current wage structure or even get improved terms with a move to Germany.

Sources told Football Insider on 22 June that Everton will only consider selling Barry this summer after they have a replacement lined up for him.

As things stand, the French youngster and Beto are the only two natural number nine options at Moyes' disposal ahead of next season, with more depth clearly needed in the position.

Even if Barry ends up staying at Hill Dickinson Stadium, the addition of a reliable goalscorer should be a priority for the Merseysiders in the coming weeks, but it remains to be seen who that will be.