Man United and Man City cause stir in Spanish media with latest £35m transfer 'target'

The two Manchester giants appear to be poised for war over a new talent causing a stir in La Liga, having already earned comparisons with Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski

Levante's Karl Etta Eyong is reportedly set to spark a transfer battle between Manchester United and Manchester City. The Cameroonian striker has even been likened to Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski due to his impressive performances in La Liga.

Indeed, it seems there isn't a major European club that isn't keeping tabs on Etta Eyong given his current form. The 22-year-old has already netted six goals in La Liga this season, second only to Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe on 11.

This has put several top-tier clubs on high alert, with Real Madrid, Barcelona and Arsenal also rumoured to be interested. According to Mundo Deportivo, the young star is keen to secure his future sooner rather than later.

Barcelona are reportedly increasing their interest in the youngster, viewing him as a potential replacement for Lewandowski themselves. The Polish legend has had a successful stint in Catalonia but is 37 and in the final year of his contract, with his future uncertain despite Barcelona having the option to extend his stay by another year.

United already bolstered their attacking options over the summer, while City don't have much need for a new striker themselves. United signed Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig in August, while Pep Guardiola looks likely to keep Erling Haaland, who has a contract until 2034, as his frontman for years to come.

Etta Eyong could present an opportunity that's too good to pass up, however. Mundo Deportivo reports the player has a buyout clause in his contract worth roughly £26.5million for La Liga clubs, while Premier League teams would have to fork out around £35m.

That's not a bad return for Levante considering they only spent around £4m purchasing him from Villarreal in the summer. Approximately £2.5m of that went to the Yellow Submarine, while previous club Cadiz - who are due a percentage of his sell-on fee - received about £1.5m.

Etta Eyong cannot represent a third club this season after already playing for both Villarreal and Levante. He had a quick start to the campaign under Marcelino and made a direct goal contribution in each of Villarreal's first three league games before moving to the Valencia-based team.

His performances have continued to impress, bringing his total in La Liga this term to six goals and three assists overall. To put those figures into perspective, Mbappe is the only player in Spain's top flight with more direct goal contributions this season.

According to Mundo Deportivo, the player would like to transfer to a new club in January before being loaned back to Levante. Not only that, but it's understood his preference is to join Barcelona, whose colours he has been seen wearing in the past.

It's hard to imagine either United or City swooping for the player this winter. As well as having Sesko on the books, United also need to resolve the future of Rasmus Hojlund, who is impressing on loan at Napoli but may return to Old Trafford in the summer.

Their loss could be another club's gain if they act quickly to snap up a star who is making a big impact in Spain. And Barcelona might already have a head start in the race to sign Lewandowski's natural successor.

Here at the Manchester Evening News, we’re dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis.

Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.

You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories.

And finally, if you’d rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Manchester is Red podcast. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.