It’s hard not to write this Newcastle transfer rumour without laughing, but according to the Metro Newcastle United have been offered Samuel Eto’o by Russian club Anzhi.
Now I know Newcastle, Joe Kinnear and Alan Pardew are desperate for a striker, but Samuel Eto’o, really?
Anzhi are reportedly looking to cut their wage bill by 60% and getting rid of Eto’o, who is currently on £350,000-a-week, would go a long way to doing that.
Newcastle are thought to have been offered the Cameroonian international for a nominal fee, somewhere in the region of £5 million, but his wages would clearly be a stumbling block, as the Magpies wouldn’t even offer Eto’o one quarter of what he’s currently on.
At 32 years of age, Eto’o’s best years are behind him, but what a decade he’s had, scoring over 200 goals for Mallorca, Barcelona and Inter Milan.
Add to that 55 international goals for Cameroon in 112 appearances and four African Player of the Year awards and you have one of the top strikers of his generation.
But can you imagine Eto’o pulling on the black and white shirt of Newcastle? Not really (unless he swapped shirts after the Europa League tie last season), but with Kinnear pulling the strings I suppose you can’t really rule anything out, no matter how far-fetched it might be.
I think we might just have identified the most ridiculous Newcastle transfer rumour of the summer…
