FCBARCELONA.CAT

08.06.2009 13:59

Meeting about Eto'o’s future

Roger Bogunyà

This Monday morning Barça chairman Joan Laporta and Eto'o’s agent, Josep Maria Mesalles, have spoken about the Cameroon striker’s future at the club. “We’re trying to find a way in which he can stay,” said Laporta.

This Monday morning Barça’s director of football Txiki Begiristain and Eto'o’s agent, Josep Maria Mesalles, held talks at the club’s offices. “We’re happy with the club and we have a good relationship, but we’re not ruling anything out,” said Mesalles.

“The player is not going to be looking to go”

Speaking at a press conference to present Ferran Pujalte, Laporta said that “the director of football and Eto’o’s agent have met to try to find a way of the player staying, which is what we want”. Mesalles had much the same message: “The player is not going to be looking to go. He likes it here and there is no better place to live than Barcelona”.

Year left on contract

The length of Eto'o’s contract, which finishes in June 2010, is one of the issues on the table. “When a player’s contract finishes, you have to reach an agreement for a new one, or if you can’t the two sides have to agree on what their future relationship will be.”

“We want to stay with Barca, but if a crazy offer comes in and pays the buy-out clause, then the player would earn a lot,” pointed out Mesalles. If there is no renewal and Eto'o stays at Barça for another year, next summer he will be out of contract and able to go wherever he wants for free.

Difference with last year

Eto'o was also in the news last summer, especially when Josep Guardiola announced on the day he was appointed manager that the Cameroon striker did not form part of his plans. In the end Eto’o persuaded Guardiola to change his mind, and proceeded to score 36 goals in three competitions.

Mesalles compared last summer with this year: “Txiki did not say that Pep does not want him. He has a contract and he wants to stay, but the difference between this year and last year is that then they didn’t want him. The market is better than last year and there are clubs interested in him, but we can’t listen to them because that’s banned.”