Rivals battle for Eto'o

Stuart Brennan

June 22, 2009

IN DEMAND: Samuel Eto'o

UNITED and City are locked in a £20m battle to sign Barcelona ace Samuel Eto'o.

And the Catalan club have told their Cameroon star he will get to decide his destiny, if both Manchester clubs are prepared to pay the asking price.

United are intent on bouncing back from the losses of Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez, who is now the subject of a tug o'war between City and Chelsea.

Sources in Spain indicate that both United and City have already been in touch with Barca, even though the signing of the 28-year-old would break the Reds' new club policy of only bringing in players under the age of 26.

Lyon's Karim Benzema remains at the top of Sir Alex Ferguson's wish list - but the loss of Tevez has now seen him turn his attention to Eto'o.

Barca are resigned to losing Eto'o and are in hot pursuit of Valencia's David Villa, Inter Milan's Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Aston Villa's Ashley Young to make up for the loss.

Eto'o has rejected the Catalan giant's offer of an extension to a contract which runs out next summer, and wants a mega-money deal.

Future

Barcelona have told his agent, Jose Maria Mesalles, that he is free to sort out his client's future - with the two Manchester clubs the only ones realistically in the frame.

Barca had met with Inter, who wanted a swap deal for Ibrahimovic, but the Italians cannot match Eto'o's wage demands, even though reports of him wanting £190,000 a week after tax are exaggerated.

Eto'o's choice is simple - he can join United and continue to play in the Champions League next season, or he can accept City's offer to make him the world's highest-paid player.

City hope they can sell Eto'o a vision of the future rather than simply tempt him with an unprecedented wage packet.

They will tell Eto'o they want him to be the focal point of the club's resurgence.

The Blues are set to seal the £17m capture of Paraguay international Roque Santa Cruz today, subject to a medical.

And they are locked in a battle with Chelsea for the services of Tevez with United finally giving up the ghost on landing the striker at the weekend.

The Reds had agreed to meet the player's £25.5m fee and were prepared to up his wage to around £110,000 a week to put him in the top earning bracket at Old Trafford.

A last-ditch attempt by United chief executive David Gill to land the Argentina international on Friday night failed when talks with Kia Joorbachian - the man who owns the economic rights to the player - broke down.

Would you like to see Eto'o at United and do you think the Reds will get him? Have your say.

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Fredrik, Sweden (22/06/2009 at 09:11)

I would LOVE to see Etoo at OT.

But he's too old, isn't he? The club made an announcement last week that it would not sign players older than 26 years.

edinburgh red, edinburgh (22/06/2009 at 09:20)

We are getting desperate now, good player but a troublemaker

p.j, coventry (22/06/2009 at 09:21)

i would love united to sign eto but i think he is motivated by money and he will go to the bitters

Maynard Kitchener Lampwick Manchester , (22/06/2009 at 09:33)

If he wants European Football he has to Go to Man United, id he wants the mickey mouse cup and a Evening at Scunthorpe then Citys your Club. Anyone with a brain would avoid City...

seasider, blackpool (22/06/2009 at 09:34)

Reasons why it's hard to give any credence to this report:

1) Age
2)Sterling /euro exchange rate when paying a known breadhead
3) African Nations Cup

Good player though.

Andy Bergen, Bergen, Norway (22/06/2009 at 09:56)

Hope I'm wrong, but I really can't see this happen. If he's unhappy with the wages on offer at Barcelona, how can United compete? With the weak pound and higher taxes, Barca's top earners probably gets more money than United's. So unless he's forced out of Barca and still wants to win trophies, I don't think he'll come. My bet is he's staying where he is today.

George Kane, Stretford (22/06/2009 at 10:03)

would be good for City,but I think Utd's commercial needs after the loss of their two best players will see him offered silly money to see him at the swamp.

Brian, Brussels (22/06/2009 at 10:04)

I don't believe we are interested in Eto and after the Berba fiasco I certainly hope not but you never know when it appears Fergie was prepared to pay an additional 25m for Tevez! Eto is well past his best and if we can't get Benzema we should keep Campbell and go with what we've got. Tosic, Macheda & Wellbeck will all be a year older and should start to make an impact even if it might be a year too early for the latter 2. If it does'nt work we can look again in January but lets not waste money on has beens.

Frank Old Trafford (22/06/2009 at 10:05)

I heard last week that Benzema's and Etoo's agents were in town, I don't know who they were talking to though. I hope that United were only talking to Benzema.

If Tevez complained about not being first choice Etoo would have a fit if told to sit on the bench.

Etoo is a great player but he's trouble and we'd be better off sticking to our 26 yr limit.

denton blue (22/06/2009 at 10:17)

I think cit should rival utd on this and push up the asking price, let him then choose utd as he will turn out to be another berbaflop

Bill Wirral (22/06/2009 at 10:31)

According to Sky Eto's wage demands have priced him out of a move to OT. He is a good player but he is trouble with a capital T. I don't want him.

Red Dawn (22/06/2009 at 10:32)

Fredrik,

There was no such announcement regarding an age policy. That was just a story created by a newspaper, although it always makes sense to buy younger players.

I'd be very surprised if United were in for Eto'o, especially as the African Cup of Nations is in January and we'd lose him for a period of time at a crucial stage of the season.

That said, we don't have any African players in the squad at the moment, and although United are already massive in that area of the World, they could always unlock the market even further with such a high-profile African signing.

kevin cairns, morecambe (22/06/2009 at 10:33)

Come on Manchester City sign Benzema! Tevez signing for City HA HA HA! PS: City will be playing champions league football in no time at all! we are the next liverpool and will win the league on a regular basis HA HA HA

Gerry, Glastonbury (22/06/2009 at 10:34)

Can't say that I rate this guy that highly and how ironic it would be to take a Barca cast off?
I

Lord Ruud (22/06/2009 at 10:35)

Looks like it is a slow news day - would be very suprised if Fergie went near a deal with Eto'o. Not the sort of player I would like to see at United at present, despite the talent his ego wouldn't fit through the door. Would rather fasttrack Macheda and Welbeck to bulk up the squad than get him to be honest.

Gerry, Glastonbury (22/06/2009 at 10:36)

If it goes on like this there must be a chance we'll get Forlan back?

Leocheck, Norway (22/06/2009 at 10:42)

I think all of you who believes that United said they wouldn't buy players above 26 years of age have to read their statement again.They said they wouldn't by players over 26 years of age if they would cost more than £30 million.

jerzy (22/06/2009 at 10:47)

A thousand times no!!!!!!!!!!!! We would just be buying in a lot of trouble for ourselves. Pure mercenary now; hunger probably gone as he's done it all.
Good headline signing for City or any club with money to burn and no established position to put ayt risk.
I think we need a striker and a youngdter like Benzema would be good , or alternatively someone like Vucinic who mus still be hungry to achieve something and not on the lookout for a massive payday.

However I'd rather stick with wellbeck and Macheda than go for eto'o

stevi, france (22/06/2009 at 10:48)

I don't believe this report..ETO is motivated by money and nothing else and that doesn't fit the usual player profile that SAF looks for....

manc abroad, OT (22/06/2009 at 10:49)

Eto'o is a no for United.

Too old for the new recruitment policy and his wage demands would destroy Uniteds pay policy.

If he wants the money he should go to City or Chel$ki, but I don't think Chel$ki are interested.
Strange, Real Madrid have not come in for him !!!!

salfordite, Salford (22/06/2009 at 10:52)

Thanks but No Thanks!

manc abroad, OT (22/06/2009 at 10:56)

kevin cairns, morecambe

I hope your prediction comes true and that you are the next Liverpool. They have not won the league in 18 years, (and counting), nearly as long as the mighty City, 41 years, (still counting). As for Champions League football, have you been on the magic mushrooms again ?

Joe Whittaker (22/06/2009 at 10:57)

SAF ,know's the score once again we are linked with(must be player 1 million now)in his reign,look at this at the cold light of day,He Eto'o is not good or loyal enough to play for us,Ronaldo showed a lot of loyalty if you think about it, who stays at a club these days for 5/6 years plus he always wanted to go to Real.
All you clowns who say We paid this for Berbatov so we should have kept Tevez,if you know about the game you would realise that He(Tevez) is a player who is adequate enough for our Squad,what did he say? if you would have started with me in the Champions League Final we would have won it?? blimey I'd have had him on his bike the minute after.
I'ts great to see a player run around like a schoolkid and have the odd effect,Berbatov is Quality and can do things in a game nobody else can if I remember correctly we had a certain Frenchman from 93 to 97 who never exactly ran about all day,he didn't have too as his football brain and skill was his strength,I remember the clown behind me getting on Teddy's case for a year then after 26/5/99 Teddy was a God!!.
The Manager will bring in the right players players who want to play for United and accept that these days it's a squad game UNITED will Rise we always do get behind all the men in a RED shirt you acn turn into a bitter.
UNITED=IS LIFE.

Lord Ruud (22/06/2009 at 10:59)

Red Dawn - we do have Manucho, who will be playing for Angola in African Nations next year. Not sure what is happening with him though and at 26 it is probably only fair for Fergie to either promote him to the bench/first team squad or sell him on.

Duncan, London (22/06/2009 at 11:14)

If his wage demands don't make him the highest earner at the club then I would say yes as he adds pace to the attack which we have lacked. He is an excellent finisher and a great touch with excellent epxerience at the highest level. I personally don't think his wage demands would be that high unless it is to compensate for playing at a much lower level as it would be if he joined City. At United I'm sure he would be happy to be paid at the level of Rooney or Rio. If not then we should look at other options.

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