Arsenal ‘keen’ to sign Samuel Eto’o: should Wenger REALLY push ahead?

With Arsenal in the need of a new striker this summer, fans are waiting with baited breath to see who Arsene Wenger brings in.

The Professor has a tendency for the doing the unexpected, but fans will have their fingers crossed that he’ll just loosen the club’s purse strings and spend big on a top quality option. Arsenal fans will want to see a world-class striker arrive at The Emirates.

Samuel Eto’o can certainly claim to be a world class striker. More precisely, perhaps, he can claim to have been a world class striker.

Back in 2010/11, Eto’o scored 37 goals in 53 games for Inter Milan. Since then, he’s started to offer diminishing returns. He scored 36 goals in 71 appearances for Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala. During his year with Chelsea, he only managed to score 12 goals in 34 appearances.

Of course, it’s worth remembering that he’s now 33-years-old. He’s not quite as sprightly as he used to be and doesn’t seem to be as sharp in front of goal as he once was. There’s a reason why Chelsea were willing to let him go after just a year at Stamford Bridge. Jose Mourinho is no mug.

So what should we make of The Mirror‘s claim that Arsenal are ‘keen’ to sign the Cameroonian international? Has Arsene Wenger finally lost it?

With Olivier Giroud lacking in pace upfront, Samuel Eto’o doesn’t look like the natural solution. The Gunners need somebody who’s on the up, not somebody who’s on his way out. I’m not sure that Samuel Eto’o qualifies.

The only way a deal for Samuel Eto’o would make sense, is if he were brought in as a third choice striker. In other words, he’d need to be behind both Olivier Giroud and another summer signing in the pecking order. If he’s Arsenal’s only signing in this department, it would be a major disappointment.

The aforementioned source claims that Arsenal’s first choice target is Mario Mandzukic. At 28-years-old, Mandzukic is five years younger than Samuel Eto’o. For my money, that makes him a considerably better transfer target. Let’s just hope that Arsene Wenger has his priorities right this summer.

What’s your take? Should Arsenal really join the battle to sign Samuel Eto’o?

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