Liverpool FC Forum

[Rafa D]

I really,really hate it when people clog up the main board with transfer rumours or speculation. However I feel the need for this to be discussed in the main page.

As many of you are aware Samuel Eto'o emerged as a target for Liverpool shortly before our Champions League tie with Barcelona. He's had problems with his collegues (namely bucktooth) and had problems with the manager and hierarchy of Barcelona over a number of issues. At first it just seemed like idle speculation, we were playing them etc. However in recent weeks this rumour has had some weight added to it from all sides.

Firstly Rafa said that he was a big admirer of Eto'o and had previously tried to sign him prior to his arrival at Barcelona. Then with the American takeover being officaly completed we were told they would back Rafa to bring in the player HE wants to the club, no numbers were mentioned but its safe to say we will be in for top end players from now on.  And most recently and perhaps most important, Eto'o himself done an interview in Spanish (which you can find here -Newkit Transfers Rumours Page - Eto'o ) where he stated that Liverpool would be making a BIG offer for him in the next 15 days and he even disclosed details about what type of contract he would sign if we were successful in our bid.

To be honest I didn't hold out much hope. In my eyes it would be a terrible bit of business for Barcelona to let him go as I consider him one of the top 5 strikers in world football today.

However this morning the news seems to be filled with a rumour that one of Fergies "3 targets" for next year is Samuel Eto'o. Its been on the national radio stations as well so to me there must be some substance in the rumours. For me this would be diabolical. United have just won the league where there defenders and midfielders have been magnificent. The only minor concern for United fans would of been there stop-start striker force and if they were to get him it would definitely take them onto the next level - forward wise. Ronaldo, Rooney and Eto'o in the same side in the league- week in, week out? No thanks 

So for me this Eto'o rumour has brought on some very interesting questions. If we want him  and United want him as we are led to believe, then this could be the first major challenge for our new owners (quite ironic its could be against Glazier). They have talked the talked and now they must walk the walk.  Villa for me, is out of the question with the £45m being quoted - given the fact Chelsea can just go higher and higher in any eventual bidding war. So Eto'o could be a real possibility and with this Manc interest its vital we get our first choices this year.

Whats everyones views?

[babu]

Hehe. been looking on Manc, Arsenal and Chelsea boards during my lunch hour today. He is being mentioned on each as a possible target. And laughably on Kipper as well.

I have no views sorry rafa-dodd.

[YNWA333]

I think it's possible. I would love to see him playing in red. Will be expensive though.

[112-1077774096]

i think a lot will depend on what happens in two weeks rafa, whether we win or not, i know we all said in 2005 that it would attract players to the club but we didnt have the cash at that time, i think a win this time will have players wanting to come here, also the promise of other new personel can tempt players to come.

players of this calibre are needed, hopefully they can be tempted, the one downside with eto is the alleged 'falling out' with his colleagues

[account deleted by request]

I would like Eto'o, but the same could be said for our other so called targets , Henry, Tevez, Villa, Owen etc etc. Price and availability will play a big part in which we end up with. My preferance would be Henry and Tevez/Owen  (probably get two for the price of Eto'o or Villa.) I'm a sucker for a bargain 

[red_guy]

Go for it.  We need that kind of a player to win the league. We have the money now, so why not?

[Rafa D]

I don't think I could ever accept Owen back into the Liverpool famliy. He left us very sneakly and didn't even give Rafa a chance.

Coupled with the fact he is Mr England.

I bet he regrets going and I am glad. It wouldn't feel right to see him back.

[Sabre]

Rafa-Dodd, at the same wages, ANY player of the Spanish liga will preffer Liverpool rather than ANY of the other english clubs. Despite some of your media tries to hide your credit, people like Andy Gray, the s*n, and the tabloids have no influence in the rest of the world, and LFC is by far the most respected one.

Note that this HAS NOT to do with winning the champions league and reaching the final, remember Xabi Alonso, who did he reject? Real Madrid. Where did he come? Liverpool.

Samuel Eto'o has a problematic record in his teams, Mallorca, Barcelona, Real Madrid B, most of them not due to bad behaviour outside the pitch (alcohol, nightclubs) but because he's utterly honest and utterly competitive.

Most of his polemics are due to he wants to play all the time. Refusing to go to the pitch for 14 minutes, talk against rotations, and things like that. He has done all thar since he was a youngster for Real Madrid B.

The other polemic spot about his personality is that he doesn't measure his words. For instance when asked about racism he doesn't doubt to insult whoever it takes and say things like "I've come here to work as a black man, so that I can live as a white man". You could also expect he insults publicly the archenemies and things like that.

BUT. He's an excellent footballer, and a great proffessional despite all this. There are details you only can see in the pitch. For instance I saw last week Barcelona in Anoeta. When they were 0-2, you could see Ronaldinho trying to do good things for the video. Eto'o instead, was backtracking to defend, was pressing, and was angry when his team mates did not see one of his movements.

He's generous in the pitch, and a great footballer. He'd be best finnisher we'd have (although not as good as RObbie at his best), but with pace, and work.

I think right now other english clubs should offer about twice as much money to convince Eto'o or any Spanish liga player to join them rather than LFC. Note that, whatever LFC offers, English wages are better nowadays than in Spain, so it will be a nice offer for the player anyway. And when it comes to prestige, LFC has no match.

Bring Eto'o, I say. Like other supposedly "problematic" guys like Bellamy or Pennant who also had a story, he'll work well under Rafa, as those two have done.

[account deleted by request]

It would feel even worse for me if Owen moved to the Mancs, I would rather he stayed and rotted at Newcastle than that! I am sure there were faults on both sides when Owen left , and maybe he is bit to much Mr England, but if he scored the goals that fired us to the title I am sure all would soon be forgiven and forgotten.

[Rafa D]

It would feel even worse for me if Owen moved to the Mancs, I would rather he stayed and rotted at Newcastle than that! I am sure there were faults on both sides when Owen left , and maybe he is bit to much Mr England, but if he scored the goals that fired us to the title I am sure all would soon be forgiven and forgotten.

If Man United signed him, I would be gutted and have no respect for him at all. BUT its the type of thing he would do.

If he did come back, and did score the goals, all probably would be forgiven.

I'd probably change my view if he came out and said it was a mistake to leave. He'd go up a lot in my estimation and gain a lot of support for a move. Would he do that though?

Re: Mr England - If I was a newcastle fan I would be livid at the moment. He's played about 15 games for newcastle in 2 seasons, he's just come back from a injury and already sayind "dont worry I'll be fit for England in June" - WTF!?!

[112-1077774096]

yeah lets remember the liverpool board has not always been switched on when it comes to negotaitions, remember the farce with macmanaman, was told there would be a contract as was ready to sign only for the lub to let him go on a free

by the way macca is the only english player to have won the champions league (in its current format) twice, lets hope carra and gerrard join him

[Sabre]

Michael Owen saw his mistake when he left Liverpool.

When he was about to leave Real Madrid, he *publicly* turned out a couple of offers including Newcastle, because he wanted to come back to Liverpool, and he wanted to wait until the last moment just in case there was a chance (he said this words almost literally, but it's been a while).

The chance didn't come, and he went to Newcastle. But Owen saw his mistake for sure.

One of the best strikers I've seen in Spain in the last decade, BTW. Superb, it's the kind of player who in the TV seems good, but in the stadium you realise HOW good he is.

[112-1077774096]

the chance did come, he was instructed by the liverpool board to refuse newcastle forcing madrid into accepting our price or keep him. we bid for him ,newcastle bid more

owen bottled it in case he was forced to stay at madrid

[Effes]

It just seems too far-fetched to consider we could get Eto'o.

This Summer could be a new "era" for Liverpool if the yanks do give Rafa
the dosh he needs to get top players....

... I just doubt it though.

[Effes]

Owen also said to Caragher that things weren't too bad, as he was earning more
money than he ever had.

sad.