Everton Join Ipswich in Race for Levante Forward
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Everton and Ipswich Circle as Karl Etta Eyong Emerges as Premier League Target
The summer transfer window often throws up a name that suddenly becomes impossible to ignore. This year, Karl Etta Eyong appears to be moving rapidly into that category. The Levante forward has gone from promising prospect to genuine Premier League target in the space of a single season, and now both Everton and Ipswich Town are positioning themselves for a potential move according to TEAMtalk.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAt 22, the Cameroon international has become one of the more intriguing players on the market. Six goals in 30 La Liga appearances may not immediately leap off the page, but context matters. Etta Eyong only arrived at Levante from Villarreal in September 2025, and his adaptation to top flight football has been impressively swift.
Rising Profile in Spain
What stands out about Etta Eyong is not simply his output, but the variety within his game. TEAMtalk report that he can operate as a powerful forward while also dropping into deeper areas. That versatility has become increasingly valuable in modern football, where rigid positional definitions continue to disappear.
His combination of pace, strength and technical quality has already attracted lofty comparisons. While comparisons to Didier Drogba should always be treated with caution, they underline the excitement surrounding his development.
AdvertisementAdvertisementLevante’s reported €30 million valuation reflects that growing reputation. For a player signed for around €3 million less than a year ago, it represents remarkable appreciation in value and a testament to his progress.
Ipswich Leading Race
Ipswich appear to be the most advanced suitor at present. According to TEAMtalk, the newly promoted side have already opened formal discussions and see Etta Eyong as their primary striker target.
That ambition is understandable. Survival in the Premier League increasingly requires clubs to identify emerging talent before prices become truly prohibitive. Ipswich have earned praise for their recruitment strategy in recent years, and Etta Eyong fits the profile of a player capable of growing alongside the club.
AdvertisementAdvertisementThe challenge now is timing. Transfer races rarely remain straightforward once Premier League rivals enter the conversation.
Everton Monitoring Situation
Everton’s involvement adds another layer of intrigue. TEAMtalk report that the club have made an official enquiry and are assessing whether to advance their interest.
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With uncertainty surrounding Thierno Barry, who managed eight goals in 41 appearances following his £27.6 million move, Everton may feel the need to refresh their attacking options. Recruitment decisions carry added significance as the club prepares for a new era at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Sources cited by TEAMtalk suggest that “a move to the Hill Dickinson Stadium would be something Etta Eyong would be keen to explore should the Toffees take up their interest further.”
That possibility could quickly complicate Ipswich’s plans.
Premier League Appeal Driving Decision
One detail appears particularly significant. Etta Eyong has reportedly prioritised a move to England and has already rejected opportunities elsewhere, including a lucrative proposal from CSKA Moscow.
The attraction of the Premier League remains powerful for ambitious young players seeking to test themselves at the highest level. With Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace and several Spanish clubs also monitoring developments, Levante may soon find themselves at the centre of a competitive bidding process.
AdvertisementAdvertisementFor Ipswich, the message seems clear. Move decisively, or risk watching another club seize the initiative.
Our View – EPL Index Analysis
From an Everton perspective, this feels exactly like the type of transfer supporters want to see. There is understandable frustration surrounding recent recruitment, particularly when significant fees have been spent on players who have struggled to make the expected impact.
Karl Etta Eyong represents something different. He is young, developing and appears to possess a high ceiling. Everton fans have watched too many transfer windows where the club chased established names at inflated prices. A move for a player still on the upward curve feels far more aligned with long term squad building.
AdvertisementAdvertisementThe reported €30 million fee is substantial, but in today’s market it is hardly excessive for a 22 year old international with proven top flight experience. If Everton genuinely believe Thierno Barry is unlikely to fulfil expectations, then acting quickly on a player with greater versatility could make sense.
There will naturally be caution. Six goals in 30 appearances is not the record of a finished striker. Everton supporters have seen enough transfer hype over the years to know that potential alone guarantees nothing.
What is encouraging is the breadth of interest. When multiple Premier League clubs, alongside Spanish sides, are monitoring the same player, it often suggests the underlying data and scouting reports are positive.
For Everton, this could be an opportunity to get ahead of the curve. The club needs more athleticism, more unpredictability and more long term value within the squad. Etta Eyong appears to tick each of those boxes. Whether Everton choose to turn an enquiry into a serious bid may reveal a great deal about the club’s recruitment strategy this summer.
Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
