Everton’s centre-forward picture has been settled, for now, by deadline day. As of 18 September 2026, Thierno Barry stands as the only recognised senior striker in David Moyes’ squad, after Beto’s exit and a proposed move for Folarin Balogun fell through. This update brings the club’s forward-line situation fully up to date.
State of play: Everton’s striker picture after deadline day
Deadline day reshaped Everton’s attack in a matter of hours. Beto left Goodison Park to join Fiorentina, closing the book on his time on Merseyside. At the same time, a proposed deal to bring in Folarin Balogun collapsed before it could be completed, meaning the striker did not join the club.
Those two developments leave David Moyes with a single senior option through the middle. Thierno Barry, signed as a long-term project up front, is now the man expected to lead the line week in, week out. There is no depth behind him in terms of recognised senior centre-forwards currently in the squad.
Barry’s early impact in Blue
Barry has given Evertonians reasons for optimism since arriving at the club. The 23-year-old marked his growing influence with a goal against Crystal Palace, showing the movement and composure that persuaded Everton to bring him in.
His standout moment so far came in the Carabao Cup, where Barry scored a hat-trick in a 4-0 win over Preston North End. Three goals in one night against senior opposition offered a clear early marker of his finishing and his appetite for goals in Everton colours.
Those performances, taken together, explain why Moyes and the club are comfortable trusting Barry with such heavy responsibility so early in his Everton career.
Thierno Barry’s role as Everton’s only senior centre-forward
Thierno Barry is now Everton’s sole recognised senior centre-forward, following Beto’s departure to Fiorentina and the collapse of the Balogun move on deadline day. At 23, he carries the responsibility of leading Moyes’ attack without an experienced senior partner or like-for-like backup in reserve.
That status was not the plan when the transfer window opened, but it is the reality Everton now work with. Barry’s goal against Crystal Palace and his hat-trick against Preston have already shown what he can offer, and those displays now carry extra weight given there is no alternative senior forward for Moyes to turn to.
What happens next for David Moyes’ attack
With no other senior centre-forward on the books, Moyes’ attacking plans now run through Barry by necessity rather than choice. Everton have set out their squad position in recent weeks, as covered in our earlier report on the club’s talking points, and deadline day has only sharpened the focus on the club’s lone senior striker.
Supporters will be watching closely to see how Barry copes with the physical and tactical demands of being the only senior option, particularly as fixtures come thick and fast. His early goals, including the Preston hat-trick, suggest he has the tools to handle the role, even if the squad depth around him is thinner than Moyes would like.
For a fuller breakdown of how Everton’s forward line looked before deadline day, readers can revisit the original analysis on the forward line. That piece remains a useful reference point now that Barry’s status as Everton’s only senior centre-forward has been confirmed.
