Former Everton midfielder Gareth Barry has offered his thoughts on the club’s current situation
Gareth Barry after the Everton versus Southampton fixture at Goodison Park on May 18, 2025(Image: Paul ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Holding onto Iliman Ndiaye could prove decisive in Everton’s bid to secure European qualification, according to ex-Blues favourite Gareth Barry.
Ndiaye rejected multiple contract renewal approaches during the year before publicly stating his ambition to feature in top-tier European competition just before the World Cup got underway, sparking widespread conjecture about his prospects at the club this transfer window. Nevertheless, Everton maintain that the forward who found the net for their final strike at Goodison Park and their inaugural goal at Hill Dickinson Stadium remains unavailable, that no valuation has been placed on him, and that their position remains unchanged since David Moyes delivered his emphatic statement in April that he was the last person he would consider selling.
In late July, Ndiaye’s father Mouhamadou Abdoulaye Ndiaye declared after disclosing that his son had been in contact with him that he was not going anywhere. Subsequently, when Everton posted images of the player rejoining his teammates for pre-season preparations in Germany the following week following an extended break following World Cup involvement with Senegal, his international colleague Idrissa Gueye, who brought the curtain down on his own seven-year stint across two separate spells at the club this summer, responded that he was here to stay.
Speaking via BetVictor, Barry, who accumulated 155 appearances for Everton between 2013 and 2017, netting five times, observed that retaining Iliman Ndiaye would be brilliant provided he was not pushing for an exit and they managed to convince him to remain for that additional year. He would be the determining factor.
He is precisely the sort of talent required to propel you forward. An Everton side with and without him would be chalk and cheese. So let’s hope they maintain that positive momentum.
They concluded the previous campaign poorly, yet they remained in contention for a European berth until the closing stages. Fingers crossed he stays and reproduces that kind of form now and guides Everton back into contention for European spots.
Former England international Barry, who checked in at Goodison Park simultaneously with Romelu Lukaku and James McCarthy during Roberto Martinez’s tenure, has been monitoring Everton’s transfer activity this window. Regarding the club’s most recent acquisition, Barry remarked that Brennan Johnson clearly possesses quality.
For him, it is a shrewd career move. Moyes has a knack for extracting the best from players who occasionally struggle for consistency, those who oscillate in performance.
Moyes maintains such demanding standards that he refuses to accept players dropping off, delivering one stellar display followed by a mediocre one. He believes it is an excellent deal across the board, and Johnson appears to fit that profile.
He has collected a couple of pieces of silverware during his stints at Spurs and Crystal Palace over two years, so he could prove to be quite the bargain acquisition as well. He thinks it is a solid signing for Everton and Moyes.
He is confident he will be thinking that he can secure a consistent performer there. He will dedicate considerable effort to his development, and he anticipates him having a productive season at Everton.
Given his primary role in central midfield during his time at Everton, the 45-year-old also anticipates the newcomers arriving from Middlesbrough and Arsenal making their mark at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Barry stated that Hayden Hackney and Christian Norgaard both embody the Moyes prototype, and one knows precisely what they are acquiring before they even set foot through the entrance.
He expects unwavering consistency from his squad. So yes, he believes Hackney will be extremely driven to demonstrate his capabilities at Premier League level. He displayed all the hallmarks in the Championship.
Relinquishing the captaincy at Boro would be difficult, yet it is an straightforward choice. He must pursue the opportunity to prove himself at a major Premier League institution like Everton.
Norgaard offers reliability, he is an extremely intelligent operator that Everton supporters appear to appreciate, and they will take to him immediately.