Eto'o completes Anzhi move

24 August 2011 18:30

Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala have completed the signing of striker Samuel Eto'o from Inter Milan.

The Cameroon striker has joined the big-spending Premier Liga outfit on a three-year deal which will make him one of the highest-paid players in world football.

Anzhi spokesman Alexander Udaltsov told Sky Sports News: "Just right now in Italy, Samuel signed a three-year contract so we can officially say the deal is done."

He continued: "We just received the medical results maybe one hour ago and he is in the right physical condition so we can sign the three-year contract."

Udaltsov told BBC Sport on Tuesday that his club would pay an initial 15million euros (£13.2m) for Eto'o, rising to 21m euros (£18.5m), and that he would earn 30m euros (£26.4m) over the course of his contract - almost £170,000 per week.

But he backtracked to an extent on those claims today, saying: "We decided with Inter Milan not to disclose the fee, but it's not even close to all the remarks in the press - 16million, 18m, 20m euros."

Asked if Eto'o would become the highest-paid player in the world, Udaltsov added: "I don't know, but he will be the highest-paid player in Russia for sure."

The move has attracted criticism that Eto'o is moving simply to swell his bank balance, but Udaltsov claimed he was swayed by the club's ambition.

"Our owner Suleiman Kerimov is a really big person and has real ambition," he said. "We have the ambition of playing in the Champions League and that's why we are signing the best players like Samuel Eto'o.

"Eto'o didn't want to come to Makhachkala (at first) but once we spoke about our ambitions he changed his mind."

Source: PA