Barcelona have been linked with a surprise move for Villarreal forward Karl Etta Eyong, who could be on the verge of a late exit from La Ceramica. The Cameroonian forward has been impressing in his early appearances with the Yellow Submarine.
The 21-year-old forward impressed for Villarreal B last season, and towards the end of the campaign began to be used off the bench by Marcelino Garcia Toral. He also grabbed a crucial winner against Girona to help secure Champions League football. This season he has started both games under Marcelino, scoring in their opener against Real Oviedo.
Barcelona considering surprise move for Etta Eyong
According to Sport, Barcelona are considering a move for Etta Eyong. The young Cameroonian forward has a release clause of just €10m, and the Catalan daily say that the Blaugrana would consider moving for him and loaning him out this season. Director of Football Deco considers him a promising young talent, with room for improvement, and a price well below his real market value. Whether it be for Barcelona, or simply to buy and sell at a profit, they believe he could be of value.
Why Barcelona may have issues
One obstacle for Barcelona may be La Liga regulations: players must first be registered by a club before they can be loaned out, as is the case for Roony Bardghji. Hence Barcelona would have to clear extra space in their salary limit to pull off the deal, with Gerard Martin, Bardghji and Wojciech Szczesny still unregistered.
Jan Virgili was the star of the show at the Maracanã in the U20 Intercontinental final, scoring a brilliant goal, hitting the post, creating chances, and completing 9 successful dribbles out of 15. Even though Barça lost on penalties, the 19-year-old winger showed he’s too…
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Major interest in Etta Eyong
For his part, Etta Eyong is reportedly keen to remain at Villarreal, but only if he will be given opportunities. With the Yellow Submarine pursuing deals for Tani Oluwaseyi and Artem Dovbyk, that may not be the case. The likes of Everton, Real Betis and Real Sociedad have all enquired about a move, while Real Oviedo and Levante have shown interest in a loan deal.
