Wednesday, June 11, 2008

SAMUEL ETO'O ....


CHELSEA are in a £20m battle with Jose Mourinho for Samuel Eto’o.

The Blues are desperate to sign the Barcelona striker but Eto’o has confirmed that Mourinho’s new club Inter Milan, and Spurs, also want to sign him.

Chelsea have agreed to sell Didier Drogba to AC Milan for £18m and want Eto’o as his replacement, even though they do not have a manager at the moment.

But for now they have to make him agree not to join former boss Mourinho at the San Siro.

Eto’o, 27, has decided that he wants out of the Nou Camp after Real Madrid secured back-to-back titles.

Frank Rijkaard, the former Barca boss who is being interviewed for the Chelsea job with Roberto Mancini tomorrow on Roman Abramovich’s yacht in Monte Carlo, would love to have Eto’o at Stamford Bridge.

It is just a case of persuading the Cameroon international that the Premier League would be the best option.

He said: “For me there is little chance I will go to Tottenham because they are in the mid-table and I need more for my style of football,” he said.

“I still have a deal with Barcelona until 2010 and would be happy to stay.

“But I have not excluded the option of joining Inter Milan.

“Chelsea are also fighting for my services with Inter and I am happy about that. Mourinho is a big coach and I would be happy to play for him.”

Eto’o plans to make a decision about his future when he returns from international duty later this month.

All the offers were put to the striker last week by his agent, Jose Maria Mesalles.

The problem Chelsea face is that Mourinho has told Mesalles that he wants to speak with the player directly to persuade him to go to Italy.

Without a manager in place at the moment Chelsea are hindered because Eto’o will not agree to go to Stamford Bridge until he knows who will be the boss.

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