Arsenal now eager to sign £35m striker ahead of Barcelona in January

Arsenal are eager to land the signature of Levante striker Etta Eyong ahead of Barcelona in January, according to Spanish publication Sport.

The Cameroon international signed for Levante from Villarreal last summer, and he has had a good start to the La Liga campaign with nine goal involvements.

His progress has caught the eye of elite European clubs, and reports claim that Barcelona and Arsenal are particularly keen on securing his services.

Barcelona have identified him as a potential replacement for Robert Lewandowski next season. The 37-year-old’s contract expires in June 2026.

However, Arsenal have ‘shown most interest’ in the former Villarreal man. They plan to sign him in January before sending him back to Levante on loan.

The striker has a release clause worth €40 million (£35m) in his contract for clubs outside of La Liga.

Eyong speculation could be agent-driven

The 22-year-old started the season with Villarreal. He contributed one goal and two assists from three outings before his late summer move to newly-promoted Levante.

Eyong has continued his bright form at Levante with five goals and an assist from nine league appearances. Despite this, they are languishing in the drop zone.

Arsenal are reportedly keen on landing his signature, but they can’t play him until next term.

As per FIFA regulations, a player can be registered by three teams in one campaign, but can only play for two of them. Eyong has already featured for Villarreal and Levante.

Hence, there is talk about him returning to Levante on loan. We would be surprised if Arsenal were to make an offer in the first place.

Eyong is the flavour of the month after bagging six goals and three assists this season, but that sample size is too small to judge if he can be prolific in the long term.

The Gunners already have three strikers in the squad in Viktor Gyokeres, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus. All three are expected to return from injuries in the coming weeks.

Mikel Merino has been equally impressive as an emergency number nine.

If Arsenal were to pursue a new forward signing, they are likely to focus on landing a marquee left winger rather than signing a striker, who can’t play for them until next summer.

Eyong’s representatives are probably behind the speculation. They are keen on securing a big-club move for the marksman, who is unlikely to stay with Levante beyond this season.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com

The post Arsenal now eager to sign £35m striker ahead of Barcelona in January first appeared on ArsenalNews.co.uk.