Chelsea have spent the entire summer chasing confused Manchester United striker, Wayne Rooney (at one stage Jose Mourinho even confirmed that he was the Blues’ only transfer target), so it was a little strange to see them finally wrap up a deal for Anzhi striker Samuel Eto’o.
Of course, the arrival of the Cameroonian international followed an ill-timed ultimatum from Jose Mourinho. After the Blues recent Premier League showdown with United, Jose told the Press: “One way or another he has to say ‘I want to leave’ or ‘I want to stay'”.
A few days later, he confirmed that Chelsea had failed to attract Rooney: “It’s the end [of our business].” (Source: Goal.com)
Pretty definitive stuff. Mourinho’s ploy clearly didn’t work. All the evidence points to the fact that Samuel Eto’o wasn’t exactly a first-choice addition to the Chelsea squad. But will he turn out to be a first-class recruit?
Let’s look at Mourinho’s rationale for signing him: “Samuel [Eto’o] will give us other kind of qualities in attack – an experienced player in a team that needs some experienced players.”
With players like Victor Moses and Romelu Lukaku competing for game time, the Blues have enough youthful options to choose from. With Chelsea’s midfielder buzzing with creative talent, signing an experienced, goal-scoring centre-forward seems to be just the ticket.
During his two seasons with Anzhi, Eto’o has scored 25 goals in 53 games. He has maintained a sublime goal-scoring record for the last decade. His exploits with Barcelona are a thing of wonder.
In terms of pure finishing ability and positioning, he’s hard to beat. Given these qualities, it’s difficult to see age ravaging his career just yet.
He’s played in La Liga, Serie A and I personally can’t wait for him to work his magic in the Premier League. The competition will be tougher than it was in the Russian League, but I doubt that will shake him.
As for questions concerning his attitude, don’t you need to be a bit of a diva to work alongside Jose Mourinho?
The proof, as always, will be in the pudding. But I certainly wouldn’t bet against the Cameroonian. We all know that Eto’o can and will score goals, so is there any real reason to question this deal?
What’s your take? Will Samuel Eto’o help Chelsea fans to forget the club’s interest in Wayne Rooney?
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He will last longer at Chelsea than Mourinho who will be arguing with Abramovich before the seasons !!