Re: Samuel Eto'o [merged]
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Samuel Eto'o's agent is suspicious of the motives behind Barcelona's contract offer to his client and claims the Cameroon striker may yet join Manchester City this summer.
Following intense speculation and conflicting reports in the press in recent weeks, Josep Maria Mesalles called a press conference earlier today to clarify his client's situation.
In it, he revealed Barca have told him twice in recent weeks that Eto'o has no future at the club.
"We have had two meetings with the club and they have told us both times that Samuel is not in their plans for next season," he said.
Mesalles revealed his anger at claims made by Barca president Joan Laporta regarding Eto'o's apparently astronomical wage demands.
He said: "Laporta has come out several times and said that Samuel is demanding huge quantities of money, but that is absolutely false.
"We have not asked Barcelona for one cent this year and we haven't spoken to Manchester City either, so to say he is asking for all that money is completely untrue. That's why I called this press conference."
Mesalles announced plans for the press conference yesterday and received the offer of a two-year contract extension for Eto'o late last night, a deal which would see the 28-year-old remain on the same wage until 2012.
"I don't know if they made the offer because they want him to stay or because they want to make money," Mesalles added.
"They want 30 to 35 million euros from his sale and that is unrealistic - he has one year left on his contract and they are asking for too much, especially in a year when he would play the African Cup of Nations and then the World Cup in the summer."
Mesalles confirmed that City have offered 25million euros and says his client may yet sign for the Barclays Premier League club.
"Samuel is very disappointed with Barcelona," Mesalles continued.
"If we find out for sure that they don't want him, then we will do our best to find him another club and Manchester City would be a good option.
"There are only about six or seven clubs out there who could afford Samuel, but Manchester City is one and they are a serious club."
Eto'o has won three league titles and two Champions Leagues with Barcelona, and his priority would be to play in Europe's premier club competition next season, Mesalles revealed.
But he claims City's absence from Europe would not deter his client from a move to Eastlands.
"In theory he wants to play in the Champions League, but if Manchester City have an offer accepted, we would be delighted to go there," he said.
Eto'o is now on holiday with his family and is planning to return for pre-season training on July 20.
"He will arrive in Barcelona on July 19 and will be ready for the first day of training and the medical exams the next day," Mesalles said.
"Samuel is on holiday, so nothing will happen until he gets back anyway - he will speak to [Barca coach] Pep Guardiola to see where he stands and we will go from there.
"There are lots of conflicting stories, but the only opinion that matters is that of Guardiola - if he wants Samuel to stay and the contract offer is serious, we would study it with all of the affection in the world.
"Samuel still wants to stay at the club, he loves it here and has great friends here - he said that he came here to win titles but I think he would be happy here even if they hadn't won anything."
