This story began back in May, when reports first linked Tottenham Hotspur with Levante forward Karl Etta Eyong after a Spanish coach compared him to Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal. Updated on 17 September 2026, the position has not changed in one important respect: Spurs have no interest in Yamal himself, and no bid for him has ever existed. What has moved on is the club’s stated attacking priorities and the fresh detail emerging around Eyong’s valuation.
September 2026 update: Tottenham’s search for attacking reinforcements
Tottenham head into this season still searching for a reliable source of goals up front. Under Roberto De Zerbi, Spurs scored 45 goals in 35 Premier League games during the 2025-26 campaign, a respectable return but not one that matches the club’s ambitions in a title race or a top-four fight.
That gap has fed into the club’s transfer thinking, and it connects directly to the ongoing questions over Spurs’ forward line that have followed De Zerbi since he arrived. His preferred style also shapes who the club considers, something covered in detail around De Zerbi’s tactical demands for wide forwards and inverted movement.
Karl Etta Eyong’s Levante breakthrough and Marc Brys comparison
Karl Etta Eyong has built his reputation at Levante this season, scoring seven goals and adding four assists in 32 appearances. It is a solid rather than spectacular return on paper, but scouts have followed his all-round game closely, including his movement and his willingness to take players on.
Eyong came through Cadiz’s academy before a move to Villarreal, then joined Levante last summer. His current contract runs until 2029 and contains a release clause reported at £26m, or roughly €30m.
The Yamal comparison stems from an interview former Cameroon head coach Marc Brys gave to Mundo Deportivo. Asked whether Eyong could break into a major club’s first team, Brys said:
“I think so, given his potential. There’s always room for a new player on a team if they have the right qualities.
“Look at Lamine Yamal: a year ago, nobody thought he’d be playing for the first team, and now he’s a key player. Etta has that potential too. He’s dangerous, unpredictable, and can surprise anyone. And that’s valuable for any top team.”
That quote, not any transfer link involving Yamal, is where the search interest around the two names actually originates.
How Karl Etta Eyong fits into Roberto De Zerbi’s Tottenham setup
According to TEAMtalk, De Zerbi himself believes Eyong would suit his system at Tottenham. The Italian has generally favoured forwards who can operate across the front line, drop into pockets between the lines and combine quickly in tight areas, rather than a purely central target man.
Eyong’s profile at Levante fits that description reasonably well. His unpredictability, the trait Brys highlighted, is exactly the kind of quality De Zerbi has prized in previous jobs when picking players to lead his attack. None of this amounts to a confirmed deal, but it explains why his name keeps recurring in Tottenham’s transfer conversations.
Is Lamine Yamal going to Tottenham Hotspur?
No. Lamine Yamal remains a Barcelona player, tied to the club by a release clause reported at €1 billion, roughly £866m. Tottenham have never made an approach for him, and nothing in the current reporting suggests that will change.
The confusion stems entirely from the Brys interview referenced above, in which he used Yamal’s breakthrough at Barcelona as a comparison point for Eyong’s potential rather than as any suggestion of a shared transfer path. Anyone searching for a Yamal move to north London based on that quote is following a misunderstanding rather than a genuine transfer story.
What happens next in Tottenham’s pursuit of Karl Etta Eyong
As things stand, Tottenham’s interest in Karl Etta Eyong remains at the reported stage rather than the confirmed stage. TEAMtalk has claimed Spurs are keen on the forward and open to triggering his £26m release clause, but no official bid has been lodged and no Tier-1 outlet has verified the story independently.
Supporters weighing up the reports can find the background in our original report on Eyong from May, which first set out the Brys comparison and Levante’s asking price. Until Tottenham make a formal move, or Levante confirm contact, the situation remains an uncontracted target rather than an active negotiation. Read Tottenham will update this piece again once there is verified movement either way.
