Eto'o Set To Stay, As Guardiola Will Most Likely Name Him In Champions League Qualifier Against Wisla Krakow

Having been named in the list of players set to leave along with Deco and Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto'o looks set to stay at Barcelona.

Pep Guardiola has apparently made a complete turnaround in his view of the Cameroon international due to performances in the pre-season, where Eto'o finished top scorer in the team with 5 goals. As a result Pep is likely to name him in the Champions League qualifier against Wisla Krakow, thus securing his place in the squad.

Despite this news Eto'o is apparently unhappy with the situation and wants answers regarding his treatment over the summer. Hopefully the air is cleared and everything gets sorted out regarding this situation.

I have to say at the beginning of the transfer season when Pep made the announcement that Ronaldinho, Deco and Eto'o were no longer needed at the club, I was hoping that at least one of the three stayed. I'm happy to know that my wish looks likely to come through due to Eto'o still being at the club.

Barca Latest!

Finally! Oleguer Presas has been sold. To me his sale has been long overdue due to the many defensive arrivals this summer and Oleguer's clumsy tendencies. Oleguer never looked to me like a defender who was up to Barca's standards and I'm glad to see him go.

According to reports Ajax and Barcelona have agreed to a transfer fee of 3 million euros for the player, and if the Amsterdam club qualifies for the Champions League in one of the next three seasons, an extra 2.25 million will be paid. Oleguer is the Dutch club's fourth singing of the summer.

In other news Eto'o is being linked with a move to Lyon that includes Benzema coming to Barca in a swap deal. Lyon president, Jean Michel Aulas is apparently very keen on bringing the Cameroon international to France, as the club is looking to strengthen their attacking options ahead of the Champions League. However this sounds like just another rumor, as Benzema is a prized possession at Lyon, but who knows, Eto'o is more prolific than the Algerian-Kabyle descendant, and Lyon as well as Barca could be tempted.

To cap off my post, I just want to give some hope to the Barca fans out there like myself, who want to see Eto'o stay at the Nou Camp. After Barca's thrashing of yet another Scottish side, this time running out victorious over Dundee United 5-1 in their second preseaon match, where Messi scored a hat-trick, President Joan Laporta was full of praise for Eto'o, commending him for his attitude and for just being a great player. When asked by the media if Eto'o would stay, the president sunned the question and raced away in a hurry according to reports. Seems like Laporta might be having second thoughts about offloading Eto'o, but only time will tell what the future holds.

Eto'o Wage Demands Hindering Move : Madrid Want Him

Samuel Eto'o having been told that he is not in new coach, Pep Guardiola's plans is finding it difficult to exit from the Nou Camp.

Due to Eto'o's high wage demands to interested parties, said to be in the region 8.5 to 10 million euros, and Barca's valuation of the star of about 30 million euros, Eto'o is finding it very difficult to move on.

Questions have been arising about how serious Barca really is about letting the Cameroon international go, because of their high asking price for the player.

Eto'o has made it no secret that his preference is to stay at the Catalan club, and really is making no effort to leave for any club which he has no interest in joining.

Pep too has also recently said that finding a new striker is not an urgent matter because of the options available too him, including Eto'o.

Now Real Madrid, who Eto'o played for during his youth years is being once again linked with the versatile striker. Madrid coach Bernd Schuster, is said to be keen on brining Eto'o to the capital as a backup should Van Nistelroy or Raul get injured.

However due to Eto'o being very pro-Barca, and his high profile as a striker I personally don't see him playing as backup to anyone, therefore I deem this move as highly unlikely.

I, like many Barca fans, am clinging on to hope, and praying for an Eto'o stay.

Who Should Barca Sign? Adebayor, Berbatov or Drogba

Reports suggest that Barca are close to signing Didier Drogba from Chelsea. Drogba has pulled out of Chelsea's pre-season tour to the Far East due injury, and Barca are said to continue their interest by making a solid offer for the Ivorian. Drogba is said to be unsettled and looking for a way out of Chelsea within the next 10 days.

Barca are also said to be interested in Dimitar Berbatov and a possible swap deal could be on the cards with Rafa Marquez moving Tottenham.

Then there's Emmanuel Adebayor, who Barca have apparently lost interest in due to Arsenal unwillingness to sell the player. However with Samuel Eto'o likely to be sold in the coming weeks, Barca could use the funds to offer more for the player and tempt Arsenal to sell.

Personally I think Drogba would be a good signing, he is a crunch-time striker, he almost always scores when it's most important, however I don't know if he would fit into the Barca system, because Barca plays a completely different style to that of Chelsea. Dimitar Berbatov on the other hand I could definitely picture in the Barca system because of his delicate touch and skillful finishes. Adebayor too, I think would fit well as Arsenal plays a similar style to that of Barca.

So who do you think would be the perfect replacement if or when Eto'o leaves?

Deco and Dinho Gone: Should Eto'o Follow?

With Deco now at Chelsea and Ronaldinho having justed signed for AC Milan, should Eto'o follow his former teammates through the exit door? Or should he stay and fight for his place, even though being told he's not wanted by Barcelona.

For a player of Eto'o's caliber, there are many top clubs across Europe to choose from, however due to his high wage demands a move is proving difficult. The latest news on the Cameroon international is that he was offered a deal worth around 40 million euros from an Uzbekistan club, to play in the Asian Champions League for 3 to 6 months.

Eto'o has been reported to have done nothing to push himself away from the Catalan club , even after having been told by Pep Guardiola that he, Deco and Ronaldinho were no longer wanted.

I don't know what are your views are, but Eto'o is one of the best strikers in the world, and I think Barca are making a big mistake by forcing him out of the club. Suitable replacements have been mentioned, the most interesting to me is that of Dimitar Berbatov, but even though Berbatov is an excellent replacement, Eto'o is the better of the two.

So what do you think should Eto'o pack his bags?

Eto'o, Ronaldinho Staying?

With both Ronaldinho and Eto'o out of Pep Guadiola's plans, they were said to be destined on their way out. However due to their high wage demands many clubs have lost or are loosing interest in both these players.
Eto'o is actually in no hurry to leave the Nou Camp and is said to be keen on staying, despite being practically told to find a new club. Eto'o is still currently on holiday, and is said to sit with the officials, to see what they have to say when he returns next week for pre-season training.
Ronaldinho on the other hand has drawn much attention from AC Milan. The club is having a long transfer saga with the player, and the latest news is that owner, Silvio Berlusconi has said that Barcelona is still asking too much for the player. Apparently anything in excess of 20 million euros is too much, as Milan is still trying to sign Adebayor from Arsenal, which is said to cost them around 30 million euros. This just makes me ponder. I wonder if they are trying to sign both Ronaldinho and Adebayor but I highly doubt it, especially after Milan's vice-president Adriano Galliani ruled out a double swoop.
So what does this all mean? It just means that Barcelona fans could possibly get to see two of the best players in the team, stay at the club. I am not a fan of Pep's idea to sell Eto'o and Ronaldinho. He should and eventually will, sit with both players and see what are their ambitions. Eto'o without a doubt in my mind wants to stay, and Ronaldinho though said to be keen on a move to Milan, will only move if the right offer is made. As a fan of both these players, I'm still hopeful that at least one of them will stay. Given the chance, I'm confident that they will perform and win more titles for Barca.

Latest On Ronaldinho & Eto'o

The futures of both Ronaldinho and Eto'o are still quite uncertain, and we still don't know what will become of the two. Deco joined Chelsea yesterday, and these two could follow him shortly through the exit door.
Ronaldinho spoke today on his future, and said that if Chelsea made an offer for him he would relish the chance to rejoin his former coach, Luiz Felipe Scolari, who he has a great relatonship with, as they have known each other for quite sometime, and have won the World Cup together. However he remains loyal to Barca and has stated that he is still a Barca player, and that any transfer involving him, will be taken care of by his brother and agent, Roberto De Assis. He said that he has not yet returned to Barcelona to speak with the club, and that he is not concerned currently on where he will be playing next season, as his thoughts are consumed with his recovery. Ronaldinho also stated that he is currently very focused and getting in shape for the upcoming Olympics, as he gears up to play for his native Brazil.
Eto'o on the other hand hasn't said anything recently, but did say earlier that he will not be forced into a decision on his future, until he has spoken to the club. New reports suggest that Barca is ready to offer Eto'o to Juventus in exchange for David Trezeguet, and that Juve would welcome the offer if Barca made it official.
The transfers of these players are just a waiting game, your guess is as good as mine. I truly believe that both Eto'o and Ronaldinho will decide, after they have sat down with the club to discuss the issue.
Ronaldinho doesn't appear to be too bothered with his future, as he knows he still has a contract with Barcelona, and he can easily find another club to pay his salary. Ronaldinho's transfer will most likely be decided by his brother, as it is said agents act according to how a move will benefit them. Eto'o's situation on the other hand is just baffling to me, yes, David Trezeguet is a good striker and he is in form, but his playing days are less than Eto'o's and I personally believe, Eto'o is the better of the two. For Juventus that's a hell of a deal, if I were them I would gladly accept the swap.

Barca Seek Shevchenko On Loan

With Samuel Eto'o's future at the Nou Camp still quite unclear, negotiations with Adebayor stalling and David Trezeguet not for sale. Barca are still in the hunt for an ideal number 9.
Shevchenko, who moved to Chelsea on the basis of family issues, primarily because his wife wanted to live in an English speaking country, has had a very unsuccessful time at the Bridge. He has never really settled and he does look like quite a misfit with the Blues. I personally believe it's because of his failure to adapt to the English style.
Scolari apparently isn't impressed with Sheva or convinced, and therefore Barca could make a move for the player, on a possible loan deal because acquiring Shevchenko on a permanent basis is probably too expensive at this time. Sheva was apparently keen on a return to AC Milan but because of the huge financial gap between the two, Milan are apparently no longer interested.
Sheva's agent Dimitri Sellyuk is said to have connections at Barcelona, due to the role he played in bringing Yaya Toure to the Nou Camp, and could be the man to see negotiations take place.
Barcelona could be a place for Shevchenko to revive his career, and prove why Chelsea bought him for a record 30 million pounds. For me it's so sad to see a striker who was regarded as one of the best in the world struggling, and I would love to see him return to form.
Sheva coming to Barca would be nice but i don't get why Barca are so keen on finding a replacement for Samuel Eto'o, who is arguably the best striker in the world. I believe they should stick with Eto'o, for he is certain to return to form next season and if they do sell him, they will live to regret it, especially if he's bursting the back of their nets.

AC targets four Strikers

Hi soccer fans!!! The word out is that AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti is in the hunt for a world class striker this summer and he has pinpointed four as his main targets, Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto'o, Emmanuel Adebayor and Amauri. It's obvious he is trying to boost his attack by signing a world class striker who can help them win the league next season, as he has stated that this is their objective when the season resumes. Of the four I would particularly like to see Drogba playing for Milan, they would gladly welcome Eto'o but I would like to see him continue at Barca and turn his fortune around at the club, Adebayor has already expressed his desire to stay at Arsenal but this is football and we all know anything can happen and of the four Amauri is the one I know the least about. All I know is that he's Brazilian, he plays for Palermo and he scored 15 goals in the Serie A this season. So with that said let me know who you personally think out of the four is best suited for Milan.