Source: Telegraph
Samuel Eto'o hopeful of making £18 million Manchester United move
The Barcelona striker's agent, Josep Maria Mesalles, is optimistic that the English champions will make a formal bid of £18 million for the Cameroon striker tomorrow.[LNB]Manchester City publicly ended negotiations with Eto'o on Friday evening, having grown exasperated with the length of time the transfer was taking. City made a bid of £25.5 million for Eto'o and, because he only has a year left on his contract, left it up to the player and the club to decide how much of that Eto'o would get as a pay-off. [LNB] Related ArticlesSunderland sign CampbellNo United bid for Aguero say AtleticoCampbell set for SunderlandBenzema turned down UnitedManchester City bid £25 million for Barcelona striker Samuel EtooTransfer watch: Alan Shearer plays waiting game at NewcastleIt is understood the player wanted as much as a £13 million share, on top of the wages of £200,000 per week City were offering. City will now concentrate on wrapping up a deal to sign Carlos Tevez, expected to be confirmed this week, and on their continued pursuit of Chelsea's John Terry.[LNB]United would be able to get Eto'o for significantly cheaper than City, with the 28 year-old eager to play in the Champions League. One source in Spain suggested that United are prepared to offer Eto'o £150,000 per week, but said there is a problem with his demand for a four-year contract. [LNB]Sir Alex Ferguson is apparently a long-standing admirer of the player, who scored the opening goal against United in Barcelona's 2-0 Champions League final victory in May.[LNB]Eto'o's wage demands have painted the player into a corner. His relationship with Barcelona has deteriorated dramatically, culminating in his rejection of a proposed contract extension – sent by text message - on the same wage terms of his current deal, believed to be £130,000 per week. [LNB]He made it clear he wants to leave on Friday, having been angered by comments made about him by Barcelona president Joan Laporta.[LNB]Eto'o's other options are limited. Long-standing suitors AC Milan have decided to try and sign Brazil striker Luis Fabiano from Sevilla instead, while Inter Milan and Chelsea have identified targets in other areas. [LNB]Barcelona are desperate to sell Eto'o rather than lose him for nothing next summer. David Villa of Valencia is their first-choice replacement, with Diego Forlan of Atletico Madrid their back-up. [LNB]Eto'o, however, may choose to play a game of brinkmanship and wait until the end of the window when Barcelona may be forced to drop their asking price. [LNB]
