ARSENAL have beaten off competition from Chelsea and Manchester United to grab brilliant Cameroon international Samuel Eto’o from Mallorca. The 22-year-old is billed as the next Thierry Henry and the £14m deal will be completed in the summer – unless Cameroon are knocked out of the African Nations Cup early enough for the move to go through in January.
The African is a product of the Real Madrid youth system so the Spanish champions have retained a 50% share in his transfer value – and they intend to offer that £7m as part of their relentless drive to buy Henry for £50m in the summer.
If Arsenal accept, the transfer would smash the world record and be worth £57m.
Madrid hold no rights over where Eto’o goes, and cannot prevent Arsenal completing his signing and ignoring Florentino Perez’s offer to chip an extra £7m into a move for Henry.
David Dein’s comment about « where in the world would we be able to find a replacement for Thierry Henry » two weeks ago has been taken by the Madrid powerbrokers as an indication that, with a cut price Eto’o on board, Arsenal might be persuaded to accept a bid for the Frenchman.
It would come with the carrot of a free half share in Eto’o and set money against the cost of building a stadium at Ashburton Grove.
Henry’s own comment last week that it would be « easier to win the Champions League at Real Madrid » has also stoked Perez’s determination to test Arsenal’s resolve to the absolute maximum – especially in a year when the Madrid President must stand for re-election.
By Bill Mills
