Whilst the talk of Wayne Rooney joining Chelsea seems to be dying down the links with Anzhi Makhachkala striker Samuel Eto’o are on the increase.
The Cameroon legend is now a reported target of Manchester United’s as well as a number of Serie A clubs. The player has recently hinted at a desire to be reunited with Jose Mourinho and his representatives could be using the interest of other clubs to get Chelsea to the negotiating table.
That’s if they haven’t already as there have been stories milling about in Italy claiming that Eto’o, or at least his agent, has held talks with the West London Club but that’s neither here nor there, would or wouldn’t he be a good signing if the interest is genuine?
My immediate thought is that we don’t really need to be chasing a 32-year-old forward and the fact he’s the highest paid player in football is a bit of a concern, but I understand that he is willing to take a cut in pay, it depends on just how much.
There’s also a few arguments out there suggesting that he may have stagnated a little in Russia and is out of practice when it comes to playing in Europe’s big league. Although he hasn’t set the world alight over there he did score 22 goals in 44 games last season and 36 in 71 in total for Anzhi since his arrival in 2011. It isn’t great but not at all bad either.
Where would he play? I’d imagine at this stage Fernando Torres will most likely be the club’s number one choice and will remain so unless someone like Rooney comes in, but the promising Romelu Lukaku will be given the chance to have a crack at the Spaniard’s position. Quite where Demba Ba fits in I don’t know. I can’t see the Senegalese forward playing many games or being able to fill in anywhere else in the first XI, so perhaps Mourinho would be attracted to the versatility of Eto’o.
Mourinho and Eto’o enjoyed a successful spell together at Inter Milan. The Cameroon forward was used to good affect in a variety of roles for Inter, especially out wide, and Chelsea do not currently have a striker that can adapt and compliment another in the situations in which we may need two goal scorers on the field. This is something Nicolas Anelka was fairly adept at when he was asked to play on the wing when Didier Drogba led the line for the Blues.
Those are just some of the pros and cons when it comes to discussing the potential signing of Eto’o but there’s no way of telling how successful it could be without it happening. I don’t think we’re desperate for new additions but am aware that a large section of the support would like to see a new forward in our ranks and I guess Ba would be the one to move on if one came in.
Good article. This is just smoke & screen about Eto’o. U know our policy about signing a player over 30yrs old. While he does have talent, I would have never guessed he is highest paid footballer. Anzhi must have been drunk as a skunk to make him highest paid fb. Best part of this in my opinion is we are on the same page. Ba is man out as he should be. U can see all the talent we have & Ba has none.