Etta Eyong, the Levante striker who grew up playing tennis and is in love with 'Dragon Ball'.

Hardly anyone knew who Karl Etta Eyong was at the beginning of August when rumours circulated that Barça had their eye on the 21-year-old Cameroonian who played for Villarreal and who, up until the start of the season, had only played 53 minutes in the First Division . However, his goal against Girona (1-0) last May in the 89th minute was key to Marcelino 's side being in the Champions League today. A turning point that saw him explode with the start of the season and become a danger to Real Madrid in their visit tonight to the Ciutat de València.

His progress is a goal every 65 minutes . He has three and another three assists. It was impossible for him to go unnoticed. He debuted with Villarreal against Oviedo in the first matchday and, later, transferred to Levante , he hit Betis and Girona . You didn't read wrong: Villarreal transferred him in the final minutes of the transfer window for three million euros! The explanation lies in the trajectory of this footballer, who has been in Spain for four seasons so integrated that he was able to overcome with flying colors the hazing of the yellow dressing room: singing about Melendi and the Canijo de Jerez .

Etta Eyong's path to football came through a woman. It's strange given that she was born in Douala, the birthplace of Samuel Eto'o . It was her aunt, a Cameroonian international, who offered her the ball as a refuge when, at seven years old, she lost a tennis tournament, the sport her mother played and wanted to guide her through. "My father had been a champion, but I couldn't handle the pressure. In tennis, you're alone . I lost that final and walked home, thinking I didn't want to play anymore. In football, I didn't feel that pressure, because you have teammates," she said in an interview with Villarreal media after her debut with the first team.

His aunt taught him, but it wasn't until he was ten years old that he joined the Galactique Academy and met a demanding coach who saw his potential, both in physique and quality. It took eight years of training until Cádiz came along. At 18, they brought him into their reserve team, with whom he made his debut in November 2022 in the Second RFEF. He adapted so quickly that the following season he played 33 games with the reserve team and scored 14 goals, prompting Sergio González to give him his debut in the First Division, playing 20 minutes against Alavés.

The owner's personal guarantee

Relegation brought Villarreal into the spotlight and they snatched him up for a million euros. It wasn't a bad deal for Cádiz, who kept 50% of the rights to a youngster who was set to explode. They did so with the Yellows' reserve team: 31 appearances and 19 goals . He was quick to combine the Primera RFEF with playing under Marcelino. So why sell him? To maintain control while he settles into LaLiga. With a 10 million euro buyout clause , he was a steal. That's why they sold their 50% to Levante, with a right of first refusal in a future sale and a contract until 2029.

For Levante, it was the gift of a footballer they would never have been able to buy. So much so that, to pay Villarreal, the president, José Danvila , provided his own guarantee. The bet was high, but the response was not long in coming.

At Ciutat de Barcelona, ​​everyone knows what Makankosappo is, the special beam cannon activated by Piccolo, a character from Dragon Ball , by placing two fingers on his forehead. Akira Toriyama 's animated series drives Etta Yong, a manga fan, crazy, and the aura of that character, "a bad guy who becomes good to help," even more so. He does it with goals so that, this season, Levante holds on to the First Division.