Barcelona add La Masia striker Etta Eyong to priority shortlist — Mundo Deportivo

Catalan outlet Mundo Deportivo reports Etta Eyong is on Barcelona’s striker shortlist, with the club eyeing an internal, high-upside solution that aligns with Hansi Flick’s intense pressing blueprint. The buzz around La Masia is growing again, while national-team chatter about Ansu Fati’s resurgence underscores the club’s attacking momentum. Early dressing-room feedback suggests Eyong’s work-rate and vertical runs fit the current tactical direction. Barcelona will now advance scouting, data profiling and medical due diligence before deciding whether to move in January or set up a summer step-up pathway via Barça Atlètic and first-team rotations.

The discussion intensified after a report in Catalonia stated that Etta Eyong has been placed on a striker shortlist at Barcelona. The sporting department has been mapping the post-Lewandowski succession for months, prioritizing profiles who press aggressively, attack space and can develop within the club’s possession principles. Simultaneously, the academy pipeline has produced multiple options at U18 and Barça Atlètic level, prompting technical meetings to evaluate an internal promotion versus an external signing. Parallel chatter around Spain’s plans for attackers has further spotlighted the form and development of Barça forwards, amplifying interest in homegrown solutions.

Mundo Deportivo: 'Etta Eyong, in the list'

@BarcaUniversal

Impact Analysis

Positioning Etta Eyong on Barcelona’s shortlist signals a strategic, medium-term recalibration of the No.9 role. With Robert Lewandowski in the veteran phase, Barça need a successor who marries pressing intensity with penalty-box instincts. Eyong’s La Masia grounding suggests he is comfortable linking play in tight spaces, attacking the near post on cut-backs and counter-pressing immediately after loss—three non-negotiables in Hansi Flick’s model.

From a squad-building perspective, moving for a homegrown striker is cost-efficient and FFP-friendly, preserving headroom for reinforcements in other areas (full-back depth, left-sided centre-back). It also aligns with the club’s cultural priority to elevate academy talent. If Eyong’s GPS metrics (high-speed sprints, repeat efforts) and expected goals per shot data translate at senior level, Barça could unlock a scalable solution without a nine-figure outlay.

Tactically, Eyong profiles as a vertical runner who can pin centre-backs, creating room for Lamine Yamal and Raphinha to receive to feet. His willingness to press the keeper and first pass adds a trigger that synchronizes Barça’s high press. Risk exists—youth adaptation, physical duels in La Liga—but the upside is substantial: a sustainable No.9 pathway, renewed identity, and a dressing room message that performance at La Masia opens the first-team door.

Reaction

Initial fan sentiment leans enthusiastic. Many highlight the “La Masia whispers becoming headlines” feeling, celebrating another academy story that fits the club’s soul. Others point to how a tireless, mobile striker would supercharge the high press—an area where supporters think Barça can climb another level under Flick.

There’s also a practical current: some want an assertive cull of peripheral names to fund a fresher core, slotting Eyong among a targeted set of additions. A minority counters that Barça have let similar profiles slip before, lamenting missed opportunities and urging quick action to avoid market inflation. Tangential chatter about Ansu Fati’s national-team radar adds optimism around the overall forward pool, reinforcing faith in the club’s attacking pathway.

Still, a cautious strand remains: fans ask for physical benchmarks, consistency across three competitions, and evidence against deep blocks. Yet even skeptics concede that a cost-controlled, academy-centric move could be the smartest win under financial constraints. In short, curiosity and hope outweigh hesitation.

Social reactions

He’s a great player.. he’s going to be very good for our high press

FCBDeeney💙❤️ (@FCBdeeney)

La Masia whispers becoming headlines again. 🧠

Sportimex ❎ (@sportimex)

He was here we didn’t go for him

Marion 🤍 (@nns_marion)

Prediction

Expect Barcelona to accelerate a three-pronged process in the coming weeks: advanced scouting reports (live plus video), performance analytics benchmarking versus La Liga strikers, and medical/load profiling to project durability. If Eyong clears those thresholds, the club could craft a phased plan—spring minutes with Barça Atlètic, Copa del Rey cameos, and late-game La Liga exposures—mirroring how recent graduates were integrated.

In the winter window, Barça may formalize his status with a pathway contract, preserving roster flexibility and registration options. Should senior minutes confirm his ceiling, a summer 2025 elevation as rotational No.9 becomes realistic, with targeted veteran support to smooth the transition. Commercially, an academy-led striker succession keeps costs low, enabling resources to be reallocated to a top full-back or a left-footed centre-back.

Contingency: if adaptation lags, Barça can still pursue a short-term market opportunity while keeping Eyong on a tailored development track. Either way, the shortlist inclusion likely evolves into actionable steps before season’s end.

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Conclusion

Putting Etta Eyong on the shortlist is a coherent, forward-looking move that blends identity with practicality. It embraces La Masia’s strengths, aligns with Flick’s pressing-and-possession hybrid, and respects economic realities. The club needs fresh legs and verticality through the middle; Eyong offers both, plus the malleability to grow inside Barcelona’s positional play.

No shortlist guarantees a deal, but this one has momentum. The internal consensus appears to value high-intensity runners who finish quickly, press bravely and combine neatly between the lines—traits Eyong already flashes. With structured integration and smart workload management, Barça can tick the No.9 succession box without distorting the wage bill. That’s not just romantic; it’s good business—and exactly how great Barcelona teams have been built.