Txiki on Eto'o, Benzema, Henry and other strikers

In an interview with Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain explained the situation of centre forward Eto'o.

Will Samuel Eto'o leave?
That exclusively depends on him. We agreed that he has to present us a concrete offer and till this moment that has not happened.

Some club has made an offer directly to Barcelona?
No. There were some agents and intermediaries who claimed to speak on behalf of certain clubs but no club has asked to negotiate directly with Barcelona.

Why?
I suppose because they have understood that the demands of the player are very high. I don't know, you should ask that to Eto'o.

And now what?
The situation remains the same like stated before by Guardiola. The player trains with the group and is one of the guys. And we have to admit he's working very well, like he always does. He takes it very seriously and he is playing at a high level. He is showing a model behaviour. And we plan to continue like that.

Will you put him on the list for the Champions League qualifying round?
The idea is to do that, but we'll wait until the last moment to see if he will play or not. If he doesn't play and he leaves, the UEFA rules state that we will be able to replace him by another player. We have to think carefully cause for him it would also be better not to play since if he does, he won't be able to play in the Champions League for another club this season. If it's not absolutely necessary, I think he will not play. I hope his situation will be sorted out as soon as possible, whatever the outcome is. It won't be a drama if Samu stays with us, on the contrary, but it seems that he wishes to leave. We'll see what happens.

Will there be a transfer if he leaves?
Yes, most definitely yes. And if Samuel stays, there won't be one. Guardiola doesn't want to have four centre forwards. With Henry and Bojan plus Eto'o or someone else, that's enough.

Will it be a star striker or a player like Cruz or Crespo?
The market is very limited, there are no interesting centre forwards available. We like several players but their clubs don't want to sell them whatever the price. We're all waiting for some domino-effect regarding the transfers but nobody is making the first move and every day that goes by there's less time to transfer.

Benzema is still the impossible dream?
Yes. It's not a secret that we have made several attempts but this season it's just not an option.

Why?
Because the player himself has decided to continue in Lyon. It's a personal decision and it's not true that Lyon president Aulas or the team have forbidden him to go. They have made a decision together and we can only hope it will be different in the future.

You expect him one day to be part of Barcelona?
Yes, because the player will decide in the end and we have a very good relationship with him and with his club. We will monitor his situation very closely and make sure that nothing changes his wish to play for Barcelona one day.

How about Henry?
I have personally talked with him. It's just like we have transferred him again. He seems very motivated with the new project, the new manager, the new transfers.

Are you serious here?
Of course I am. Physically he's very good and that's very important for him after a season he wasn't lucky with injuries. He gave me a good impression in Scotland and I hope he continues like that in the United States. Henry will be a very important figure this year and he knows that. I think he likes that responsibility and that it gives him an extra motivation.

Will you have enough players who can score?
We've already seen that in the scheme of Guardiola the midfielders are more important in attack. Xavi plays somewhat higher up the pitch. I'm sure this season the midfielders and even the defenders will score more goals. In the set pieces, on which the team trains a lot, the central defenders will be much more present. The role of Márquez and Puyol is crucial in the whole defensive structure, in the pressure, in the building up and in the attacking.

But won't the team miss a real goalscorer if Eto'o leaves?
Yes and no. I already said we will replace Samuel if he leaves for another club, but I believe in Henry and in Bojan, who will have a bigger role and a lot of minutes with Guardiola. Bojan will be an important player and I repeat that Henry will meet the expectations.

Read more:
Barcelona proposes Eto'o-Benzema swap

Renewal offer for Bojan

Manchester United considering Henry bid