Eto’o Says Farewell to Barcelona

Samuel Eto’o may have retained his pace and his finishing abilities throughout his five-year time with Barcelona, but the Cameroonian goal-machine is lacking a bit of common sense. Forward Samuel Eto’o reportedly told Barcelona president Joan Laporta he no longer wants to be part of Barcelona’s plans for next season and that he fancies a move to England. After his most trophy-laden season with the Catalan club, winning the UEFA Champions League, Copa del Rey (King’s Cup), and La Liga, why does he want out? Eto’o was integral to Barcelona, netting a career-record 36 goals in all competitions, the most significant of which was in the tenth minute of the Champions League Final in Rome, helping his team beat Manchester United 2-0. Barcelona showed the potency and perfection of their squad; their exploits this season would make it hard to bet against them for their upcoming La Liga campaign.

At the end of Eto’o’s somewhat disappointing 2007-08 La Liga season, the striker also wanted out of Barcelona – in search of silverware. In April 2008, The Daily Telegraph quoted Barça’s No. 9 as saying, “If we continue like this next year…then I will have to leave and go somewhere else. I have to win trophies.“

Having won three of them, the question arises: Why does he still want to leave the club that he has been at since 2004?

The fanfare around the possibility of Barcelona signing Spanish forward David Villa from Valencia could make Eto’o question his starting place in the Barça lineup if Villa joins the Blaugrana this summer. Many Barcelona players have been urging Eto’o to stay at Camp Nou and play alongside Villa. "Of course they can play together,’’ centre-back Gerard Pique told reporters after the Confederation Cup in South Africa. “Competition is always good and Villa could help Barcelona considerably.”

Joan Laporta tried to retain the services of his leading scorer by offering him a new two-year contract extension. Eto’o did not respond to the offer, effectively rejecting it. Laporta has talked with Eto’o attempting to persuade him to stay, but Eto’o has decided to leave the club.

After Manchester City formally ended their pursuit of Eto’o on Friday, their cross-city rivals, Manchester United now look frontrunners to sign the twenty-eight year-old Cameroonian on a fee of £25 million and a four-year deal of £150,000-a-week, although he wants additional money based on appearances and goals. Eto’o’s agent, Josep Maria Mesalles, also cited his client’s desire to win in jumping ship.

“He wants to join a club which will give him another chance of winning trophies,” The Telegraph quoted Mesalles as saying.

Goal.com dispelled rumours and reassured Barcelona fans, quoting Joan Laporta as saying, “There is nothing going on with Eto'o, he will return because he is a player with a running contract…”

The tough part of that argument for Catalan fans:  Eto’o obviously doubts Barcelona’s title contention next season, with tough opposition coming from Real Madrid, bolstered by their recent signings, Kaká and Cristiano Ronaldo.