Eto'o

[Catch22]

Didn't Rafa try to get him bought whilst he was at Valencia?

So i think he would be interested

 

That said, there is absoltely no way we could afford him

 

Barca pay a lot more than us & he is 1 of their top earners.

He's not going anywhere for a pay cut

 

Even if we could strech to £160k+/wk or whatever he's on given the FX move, Torres & Gerrard would want matching which we certainly can't afford.

[1892-LFCWasBorn]

One of the best strikers in Europe, but:

 

Would cost a fortune in transfer fee and wages

Now 28

Suspect attitude

Questionable hunger (for football)

 

Don't get me wrong, I would love a player of his calibre here, but we can spend the money, much, much better.

 

I'd rather see us go and buy someone a hell of a lot younger, for example Benzema, who can learn some good shit off training and playing with Nando.

 

And provide some quality when Nando needs a rest/is injured.

[G Richards]

Would definitely improve us. We've bought too many players that have been similar in quality to the ones they have replaced. Eto'o is one of the best three stikers in the world (Nando and Villa being the other two) in my eyes.

 

If the money can be worked out, I am all for this.

 

Eto'o plus one other signing to improve on either Riera or Kuyt and we'll be in business.

[Paul]

I can't believe some people think this wouldn't be a good move. Have you seen him play? He'd fucking rip up the Premier League. The lad is made for English football in my view: strong, skillful, fast and aggressive and he scores a ridiculous amount of goals. He's also proved that he has absolutely no problem whatsoever adapting to playing with other top quality players of different and similar styles.

 

As for the attitude thing, he'd be fine. No-one could walk into a dressing room containing the likes of Carra and Gerrard, not to mention Torres, Pepe, Xabi and The Chief and just take over. With a year left on his deal I say go get him Rafa. I really hope there's something in this because he is the closest thing there is to a cast iron, guaranteed match winner.

[Glen C]

I think his style is too similiar to torres. Plus I'd rather we buy a top quality goalscoring midfielder.

[Spy Bee]

Torres is a far better player when he plays up front on his own. Is Eto'o going to be happy playing 1/3 of our games?

[philyhamann]

He isn't going to sit on our bench, and we're not going to buy then pay him to sit on our bench. I don't want him for the same reason I didn't want Keane, but I think this story is bollocks anyway.

[Thants]

No story.

[Carradona]

Eto'o, RiS, FACT?

[CWD82]

Quality player but I would be uneasy about splitting up the best partnership in European football. In isolation a fantastic signing, in the grand scheme of things I'm not so sure

[Guest LFD]

I think this would be a great signing. As we know Benitez tried to sign him before, so he clearly rates him. Eto'o would give us goals, pace and class. He can play along side Torres (both inter changing between leading / supporting striker, similar to what occurs with Gerrard now). He can play wide left (as he showed against Arsenal in the Champs League final and in that season he often played in that position. He can play as the lone striker when Torres is injured / rotated. This is what we need quality, depth and a options. He'll not only enhance our starting XI, he will ensure we have another match winner and we can cope better should we lose our current match winners.

 

People go on about Eto'o temperment. But let's be honest he probably got annoyed at Barca because his fellow teammates were not putting in half the work rate Eto'o would do for the team, (Ronaldinho springs to mind and Deco) when he was seen to be working his ass off. Now this has changed and Guardiola has ensured the whole team put in graft as well as craft and as a result he seems more happy. I think he's porfessional and he expects his teammates to be the same, no doubt he'll love Benitez's strict / obssesive / disciplined apporach, as he stands for no party boys such as Ronaldinho.

 

The one think that concerns me in the article is that we are looking for a back up right sided player. That implies to me Kuyt is the man for this role next season. While I think that's fine in the ruight game, at home we need more threat than Kuyt currently offers. But saying that his goal record this season, might suggest what I'm saying is bollocks. My opinion we need more umph against the weaker teams than Kuyt currently offers. Eto'o however would fit in perfectly to our team - he has the work rate, he has the quality, he'd give us movement, goals, pace - the lot.

 

Yes please!

[Guest LFD]

Quality player but I would be uneasy about splitting up the best partnership in European football. In isolation a fantastic signing, in the grand scheme of things I'm not so sure

 

I'm fairly sure Eto'o / Torres could also be the best partnership.

 

At times we could still see Gerrard / Torres. Other times all three, maybe Eto'o and Gerrard. It's great to have some many quality options and that's what Rafa craves.

[snez1]

Can't see it. Wonderful, wonderful player and one of the best strikers in the world with Nando and Villa but he's a bit of a nutter. Also, he plays best up top alone like Nando so how do they fit in together? Highly unlikely in my opinion.

[Guest LFD]

Also, he plays best up top alone like Nando so how do they fit in together? Highly unlikely in my opinion.

 

Just like Torres and Gerrard play together now.

 

Yes Torres is seen to be the striker who leads the line and more often than not he is. But he drifts wide, he drops off and inter changes with Gerrard. Through out games you will see Gerrard leading the line, certainly pressing teams defensively, even making runs in behind the opposition.

 

Torres is a complete player, as is Gerarrd, which is why they are so great togther, they give the opposition nightmares with their movement as they can both be supporting / leading strikers. Both play with their back to goal, facing goal or wide.

 

I think Eto'o is exactly the same. We'd have three top quality players who could play together, can be rotated, can cope with injuries. United cope with having more than one top striker, so could we.

[snez1]

Just like Torres and Gerrard play together now.

 

Yes Torres is seen to be the striker who leads the line and more often than not he is. But he drifts wide, he drops off and inter changes with Gerrard. Through out games you will see Gerrard leading the line, certainly pressing teams defensively, even making runs in behind the opposition.

 

Torres is a complete player, as is Gerarrd, which is why they are so great togther, they give the opposition nightmares with their movement as they can both be supporting / leading strikers. Both play with their back to goal, facing goal or wide.

 

I think Eto'o is exactly the same. We'd have three top quality players who could play together, can be rotated, can cope with injuries. United cope with having more than one top striker, so could we.

 

I think the Gerrard/Torres partnership is the best in the world, i wouldn't break it up. Also, i just don't see Eto'o and Torres as a paire that would work. Neither are great in the build up and both like to be up against the centre backs using their pace and power.

[Hooch]

If Rafael Benitez is willing to sign Jermaine Pennant and Craig Bellamy; Two well known pains in the arse, I can't see how Eto'os supposed attitude would put him off.

It would be a very interesting signing I think.

[zigackly]

I'd take Eto'o in a flash and worry about the baggage and the wages later. He'd be well worth it.

[Guest TK-421]

If he was available at the right price I'd like Rafa to be interested. I would rather it was David Villa but Eto'o is certainly an appealing prospect too. I agree with people who have reservations about his similarities to Torres in a positional/style sense, but then what's wrong with being like Torres?!

 

I agree with Paul about his supposed bad attitude. If it's true he is the top scorer then who really cares? It's not like he fannies about all the time like Cronaldo. It would definitely be an exciting signing if it were to happen.

[Sangria]

He will not sign for us.

[Guest LFD]

He will not sign for us.

 

You don't know that.

[Salou]

Just go for the Hulk.

[Dan Vito Corleone]

Top footballer, would be a top signing, but from that article I'd prefer to sign Kerrison.

[TommyW]

people are turning there noses up at eto'o?

 

mentalists

[ToxtethTerror]

I'd hate our current system to be broken up much as I love Et'oo we don't need him really. What we need is a good young player to come in and stake a claim if Torres is injured. How about someone like Ryan Babel? or Dirk Kuyt cover for Torres and we spend the £30m on a world class winger? Now theres a novel idea!

[zigackly]

I'd hate our current system to be broken up much as I love Et'oo we don't need him really. What we need is a good young player to come in and stake a claim if Torres is injured. How about someone like Ryan Babel? or Dirk Kuyt cover for Torres and we spend the £30m on a world class winger? Now theres a novel idea!

 

Nobody did stake a claim when Torres was injured, and I think that's why we need to sign another striker, whether we sign a decent right winger or not. I'm sure Benitez is capable of re-jigging the syetem to get the best out of three world class players instead of two, and if not then he'll rightly draw the criticism. If the story is true that we're interested, perhaps it's a risk he's willing to take. I certainly would. Eto'o is one of the best two strikers in the world in my opinion, and we already have the other.