How Barcelona can sign La Liga striker with €30 million release clause for a much lower fee

Levante striker Etta Eyong has become the great revelation of La Liga. The forward, who attracted interest from Barcelona in the final days of the transfer window, has already scored five goals and provided three assists this season.

Barcelona, for their part, still retain an interest in the young forward, as they seek a new No. 9 next summer with Robert Lewandowski’s contract set to expire.

Following his move to Levante from Villarreal for only €3 million, Eyong’s contract has a release clause of €30 million. However, there is a possibility that he could be available for nearly half that valuation in the summer.

Complex clauses could help Barcelona

According to Cadena SER (h/t SPORT), Villarreal and Levante signed a particularly complex transfer contract for Eyong.

The Yellow Submarine sold the player for €3 million, after initially demanding €6 million, but included several clauses to secure potential future income.

If the player is sold for an amount between €3 million and €7.5 million, Villarreal will receive 80 per cent of the profit, with Levante retaining only 20 per cent.

If the sale amount ranges between €7.5 million and €15 million, the profit will be divided equally. Should the transfer exceed €15 million, Levante will keep 80 per cent of the profit.

Furthermore, if Levante rejects an offer of €15 million or higher, the club is obliged to pay Villarreal the profit that such a sale would have generated, even if the player stays put.

Additionally, Villarreal also hold a right of first refusal to match any offer and re-sign the player next summer. If that occurs, the Yellow Submarine would have to transfer 50 per cent of any future sale proceeds to Cadiz, Eyong’s former club.

The operation is undoubtedly complex, but it is clear that Eyong will likely leave if an offer of €15 million arrives next summer – half his release clause value – given the financial interests of all parties involved.

Moreover, the striker has made it clear that, despite any first-refusal clauses, he intends to choose his own future.

So, there is a chance that Barcelona can sign him for a fee of around €15 million, if they do indeed decide to go after him in the summer.

The report states that Eyong had prioritised a move to Barça last summer after learning of their interest. However, the Catalans were unable to pay the €10 million fee demanded by Villarreal at the time due to financial inflexibilities.

Should Barcelona come calling again, Eyong could decide to make the jump from Levante.