Everton and Tottenham Hotspur now look destined to fight over the signing of Karl Etta Eyong from Levante this summer.
Everton and Tottenham eyeing attacking star
It's a big summer for both clubs for different reasons. For Everton, it's the chance to bridge the gap between themselves and the European places. By the end of the campaign, David Moyes had taken the Toffees within just four points of qualifying for the Europa Conference League.
aaron-wan-bissaka-west-ham Related
[Everton exploring move to sign "fantastic" Premier League star](https://www.footballfancast.com/everton-join-race-to-sign-aaron-wan-bissaka-new-cut-price-deal-emerges/ "Everton exploring move to sign "fantastic" Premier League star")
He could become one of the bargains of the summer.
Then there's Tottenham. After finishing 17th in back-to-back seasons and more than flirting with the dropzone, the Lilywhites simply cannot afford to get things wrong this summer and will have European ambitions of their own.
With that said, it's only natural that the same impressive target has emerged. According to Mundo Deportivo, via Sport Witness, Levante are willing to sell Etta Eyong to Tottenham or Everton - sparking quite the battle between the Premier League duo.
This comes after Barcelona decided to look elsewhere for attacking options instead of handing the forward his dream move. And without the Catalan giants involved, Etta Eyong's future remains open.
In terms of price, the 22-year-old is certainly affordable. Levante have reportedly set an asking price of just €25m (£22m) as they look to cash in.
Described as "amazing" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the Levante forward finished the campaign with seven goals and four assists in all competitions - enough to put him on the radar of the Premier League.
"Amazing" Etta Eyong could replace Thierno Barry
It wasn't long ago that Everton were spending big on Thierno Barry. The forward arrived with plenty of promise and, to his credit, did show glimpses of his quality throughout the campaign. However, glimpses of quality won't be enough if the Toffees are to qualify for Europe next season.
Levante's Etta Eyong celebrates scoring their first goal
The arrival of Etta Eyong - another La Liga forward - one year on would cast doubts over Barry's long-term future in Merseyside and hand Moyes an option with undeniable potential.
League stats 25/26 Etta Eyong Barry
Minutes 1,668 1,915
Goals 7 8
Assists 4 0
XG 8.64 8.11
Shots P90 2.7 1.79
Although Barry ended the season with more goals to his name, the numbers suggest that Etta Eyong could have provided the Toffees with more of a threat.
The 22-year-old took more shots per game and had a higher XG. The goals will eventually arrive in abundance for a player who enjoys those underlying numbers. Whether that's enough for Everton to launch their move now remains the big question.
Read next: Everton star working on signing Moyes' next Grealish
Jack Grealish and Everton manager David Moyes Related
He'd be Moyes' next Grealish: Everton start work on signing English star
Everton have set their sights on one attacking talent to transform their fortunes in 2026/27.