Eto'o agent denies exit bonus request

Asked about the transfer of Barcelona forward and Cameroon international Samuel Eto'o to Inter Milan, the player's agent Josep Maria Mesalles has confirmed to journalists at the El Prat airport that the player and Inter have a total deal:

"We've reached an agreement, everything is done. It's a 100 per cent deal with Inter, only depending on the medical tests now. I didn't have any conversation with Barça over the past days. We didn't ask for one euro. Everything said by the press were lies. We don't ask anything from Barça. We just want them to give the player his freedom so he can sign at Inter.

He will be presented in Milan at the beginning of next week. I think it will be on Monday or Tuesday, although Inter returns on Tuesday from the United States and I think that president Moratti comes back from a journey on Wednesday. The player cannot wait to start working with his new team-mates. Eto'o likes everything about his new club. Milan is a great city and Inter is an interesting new project for him. Samu has put everything on bringing a Champions League to Italy.

It's a painful moment but another stage is starting. Samu nevertheless would like to have the chance to say goodbye to the Barcelona fans. He only feel gratitude towards the club. In every family there are fights, but that's normal and both should be able to forget. For Eto'o, the exit has been hard because of what happened the last two years but we should remember the most positive moments."

Read more:
Barcelona officially confirms Zlatan-Eto'o deal close
Eto'o agent confirms Inter deal

Eto'o agent confirms Inter deal

Josep Maria Mesalles, the agent of Barcelona forward and Cameroon international Samuel Eto'o (28) has confirmed to journalists after a new meeting that Eto'o and Inter Milan have reached an agreement on a transfer:

"This is it. We have closed a deal between Eto'o and Inter. Eto'o talked to Mourinho yesterday and he's very happy. All the details are arranged. Now we only have one problem left with Barcelona about the bonus, but I'm optimistic about that. Next week this should be solved. Eto'o will arrive in Milan on Monday or Tuesday."

Inter sports director Marco Branca confirmed the deal to the journalists gathered outside the meeting place. Italian sports paper La Gazzetta dello Sport claims that Eto'o will arrive in Milan on Monday to sign a five-year deal worth 10,5 million euro a year.

Read more:
The reason of Guardiola's "feeling" towards Eto'o
Exit bonus last step for Eto'o transfer

Eto'o agent met with AC Milan agent

Sky Italia reports that Barcelona striker and Cameroonian international Samuel Eto'o's (28) agent Josep Maria Mesalles met with A.C. Milan transfer consultant Ernesto Bronzetti. The two were photographed together on Monday evening.

Swedish tabloid Aftonbladet claims the two agents would have met after Mesalles had finished the first round of negotiations with Inter Milan regarding the transfer of his client.

The agents were purported to have had a late dinner together at the restaurant Trattoria Da Giannino on Via Vittor Pisani. An Aftonbladet source in Milan also claims that A.C Milan can do little stop the negotiations with Inter: "It's a matter of negotiation tactics, Mesalles wants to put pressure on Inter with other alternatives. But there is no way that Milan has the resources that which Eto'o claims under these circumstances."

Read more:
New Inter-Eto'o meeting tonight or tomorrow
Eto'o is in Milan

Deal Inter-Eto'o will be announced soon

Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport claims that a new meeting between Inter Milan officials and Josep Maria Mesalles, the agent of Barcelona forward and Cameroon international Samuel Eto'o (28), started at 3 pm this afternoon. The meeting is expected to last for two hours.

Italian sports paper La Gazzetta dello Sport claims Inter president Massimo Moratti will meet with Mesalles at 4 pm. The official announcement on a deal would be near. Inter and Eto'o would sign a five-year contract worth 10,5 million euro (plus incentives) a year. The Cameroonian striker would already be in Milan and once there's a formal deal, Eto'o is expected to undergo the medical tests tomorrow.

The paper also claims that Barcelona will in the end pay 50 million euro° plus Eto'o plus a one-year loan of Hleb (with Barcelona paying the entire salary) for Inter Milan forward and Swedish international Zlatan Ibrahimovic (27).

Principal agreement on Ibrahimovic transfer

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has said at a press conference that Inter Milan and Barcelona have found a principal agreement on the transfer of Inter Milan forward and Swedish international Zlatan Ibrahimovic (27), which would include Barcelona players Samuel Eto'o and Aleksandr Hleb. A deal would now depend on the players involved.

Josep Maria Mesalles, the agent of Eto'o, is meanwhile quoted by Catalan radio station Ona FM that he talked by phone with Inter president Massimo Maratti on Thursday nigth after the two clubs found a deal. The agent said that he was delighted to be able to negotiate with a great club like Inter although he said that a final deal can only be closed face-to-face, not through the telephone.

Mino Raiola, the agent of Ibrahimovic, denied a deal in an interview with Italian radio station Radio Radio: "Regarding the talks between Barcelona and Inter for Ibrahimovic, I can only say that there's no deal yet because I don't see the signature of my player under a contract that I have read. I can guarantee you that I didn't even start to discuss a deal because I'm busy with the transfer of Maxwell. Maybe it will be a done deal next week or next month, there's still time until 31 August. There's time as long as the market open. We can negotiate until the end of August."

Ibrahimovic told to journalists after today's training session that he was calm about the whole situation: "I knew that Barcelona and Inter have been talking but I thought it was about Maxwell. If the offer of Barça would become concrete, that would be an interesting option. I wait calmly to see what happens. I spoke with my agant Mino Raiola and at this moment, I'm happy to be an Inter player."

Read more:
Report: Ibrahimovic deal reached

Eto'o decides to leave the club

Both main Catalan sports papers claim that Barcelona forward and Cameroonian international Samuel Eto'o has decided to leave the club this summer.

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that the player's agent Josep Maria Mesalles has yesterday informed Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain about the decision.

It is expected that Eto'o will next week come out and finally give his version of what has happened over the past years. A press conference would be held in Paris on Wednesday 15 July.

Catalan radio station RAC 1 meanwhile claims that the entourage of the player doubts that Barcelona president Joan Laporta has tried to get in contact with the Cameroonian by phone like he had stated earlier this week, since no phone call has been received.

Read more:
Manchester United strongly interested in Eto'o
Laporta commenting on the transfer season
The truth in the Eto'o case

Misunderstandings between Barca and agent Eto'o

(click the cartoon to enlarge)

source:
elmundodeportivo.es

see more cartoons here

Picture of the day: Mesalles

Josep Mesalles, the representative of Samuel Eto'o, showing at a press conference this morning the last-minute renewal offer (by mail and by sms) that Barcelona made last night around 23:30 pm.

Agent Eto'o Press Conference: Live Coverage

Josep Maria Mesalles, the agent of Barcelona forward and Cameroon international Samuel Eto'o, has said at a press conference that the player didn't yet talk about figures with Manchester City an that all figures put forward by the media are as a consecuence false.

The club has been spreading figures that aren't true and has leaked to the press that they were about to offer a renewal, while the player nor the agent had heard anything from the club.

The agent has been told that Guardiola and the club don't want Eto'o anymore. The player had told the club he wouldn't have any problem to continue at Barcelona earning the same wages. Barcelona had offered the player to renew with a lower salry. Last night, a new offer came.

Core of the message: the club has been speaking with a double tongue and has been misleading the fans, using the media and twisting facts.

The agent is now showing sms messages he received from club officials. This means war, baby!

e-mail and sms from Sanllehí, 29 June, 11:34 and 11:36 pm: "the Club has decided to offer you the renewal of Eto'o for two more years, keeping the current salary of the player"

If this offer is true, we'll look at it because Eto'o wants to stay and doesn't understand the whole situation.

The club would have been acting like this because someone don't want Eto'o anymore at the club and Mesalles would be surprised if that person would be Guardiola.

Barcelona doesn't want the player and has been spreading lies to the press making Eto'o look greedy, that's why Eto'o doesn't want to renew at this point.

Messales points at Manel Estiarte, confident of Guardiola, as the person who has been constantly leaking to the press.

Eto'o went on holiday thinking that he would be able to continue because he had the suport of the coach and the squad.

There's no offer by Manchester City, this information has been leaked to the press to put pressure on Eto'o to leave.

Eto'o wants to stay but he won't boycott the club if they are looking for another club. The economic part won't be the problem for Eto'o.

In a first meeting, the club told that they wanted to work on the best solution for all parties. Later, they said they didn't want him anymore and started to look at the offers.

The club wanted to sell Eto'o for 30-35 million euro, which the agent thinks is too much for a player with only one year left, that no club will pay that. That's why Barcelona hasn't been able to find a deal with City.

The agent said that if Barcelona would reach an agreement with City, he was willing to start negotiations with the English club.

Mesalles didn't yet talk with City, so if the president talks about a supposed record offer, he's not telling the truth. It's also false that Eto'o has asked half the transfer fee, like media have been suggesting. The talk about a bonus of 15 million euro is absolutely false.

Eto'o wouldn't mind staying, he feels he could still be useful for the club.

The agent doesn't think the coach has made the decision that casused all this. Eto'o didn't hear anything of Guardiola since the end of the season, while Guardiola is someone who always comes out.

Barcelona played a double game by using the media to damage the image of Eto'o and to come out as the good ones.

The player might have made some unclear statements, but it's easy to take words and put them in the wrong context. Eto'o has always felt love for the club. He wants to stay and if that wasn't the case and he wanted to leave, he would be the first to come out asking for a transfer.

Laporta, Txiki and Sanllehí have told the agent that the coach didn't want Eto'o anymore.

The club shouldn't have used the press, they could have said it openly when they wanted the player to leave.

Our mistake could have been not to check if it was true that Guardiola wanted Eto'o out, certainly taking into account the good feeling between the coach and the player during the celebrations and Guardiola saying "see you on 20 July".

If the club doesn't want Eto'o, they should come out and say it. Eto'o would accept that decision and then will look for the best option for the player to continue his sporting career.

We never cared about the money, we are only working for the player to have succes as a football player. It's not about negotiations, it's not about the money.

As things stand now, Eto'o will be at the club the 19th for the medical tests and the 20th for the first training session. He will give everything he has, like he did last year, to do better than the treble.

Eto'o plans to talk with Guardiola in the coming days to hear about his plans first-hand.


ok, boys and girls, let's call it a wrap. stay tuned cause i'm sure there's some more to come in the coming hours and days. and behave in the comments section!

Agent Eto'o calls for press conference

Josep Maria Mesalles, the agent of Barcelona forward and Cameroon international Samuel Eto'o (28), has announced that a press conference will be given tomorrow at the AC Diplomatic hotel in Barcelona.

The agent is expected to clarify Eto'o's official position on his future and most media agree that the player will announce that he will stay next season.

Read more:
Barcelona hopes Eto'o will retire at the club
Eto'o to sign for Manchester City next week
Agent Eto'o repeats wish to continue

Eto'o wants to stay next season

Asked about the future of Barcelona forward and Cameroon international Samuel Eto'o (27), the player's agent Josep María Mesalles has said in an interview with Catalan radio station Ona FM and Spanish radio station Cadena Ser that the player wants to continue at Barcelona next season:

"What Samuel wanted to say in that interview is very easy: my future is certain until my contract expires. So he's sure about the near future. Maybe in the end he will want to continue at Barça, but the club won't. We will see what will happen later. You cannot be sure about the future.

We all know Samuel by now. He could have been sneakier and say that this wasn't the moment to talk about that but he never avoids a question. About not wanting to pose with the shirt, he had just finished training and he had taken a shower, so he didn't want to put it on again. On the other hand, it's true that he has always said that he would like to end his career at Mallorca, the club who has a special place in his heart.

Samuel wants to stay with Barça because he's very happy to live in the city of Barcelona and to be a part of a club like Barça. Last year, sadly, the club said that Eto'o had to leave but in the end he stayed. I told him that we had a contract with Barcelona and Samuel stayed and has already scored 23 goals.

The renewal negotiations with the club didn't start yet, so we didn't ask for more money. Until now, Barça didn't approach us, nor did we approach them. It's not in our interest to make the first step, we have a contract and we plan to respect that. There are no negotiations ongoing, but the relations with the club are very good.

I also want to make clear that we didn't have contacts with Real Madrid. What happened is that Eto'o coincidentally met Real Madrid's president at the Euro last summer and there was some joking around. There haven't been any serious negotiations and I never sat around the table to talk with Madrid. We are feeling good at Barcelona and we like to stay at Barcelona."

In an interview with Catalan sports paper Sport, Mesalles also spoke about the future of Eto'o: "The fact that the player wouldn't renew now doesn't mean that he won't continue. He has a contract until 2010 and he has always said that he wants to fulfill it. So there's still a lot of time to think about his future.

I didn't yet receive an offer from the club but if they call me, I will be glad to listen to what they have to say. I don't understand that some assure that he'll leave the club. On the contrary, the player is very happy at Barcelona. You can only have scored 23 goals at this stage of the season if you are playing at a club where you feel happy."

Read more:
Eto'o: "I already made a decision on my future"
Eto'o wants to negotiate renewal in the summer
Eto'o: "I can still go higher"

Eto'o wants to negotiate renewal in the summer

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Barcelona wants to renew the contract of Barcelona forward and Cameroon international Samuel Eto'o (27), whose current contract expires in 2010, or sell the player in the summer.

Barcelona's first option is the renewal of Eto'o but the club doesn't want the negotiations to drag on and is keeping an eye on the market in case a renewal deal wouldn't be found.

Eto'o would also want to renew the contract but wants to focus on football first. The player's agent Josep Maria Mesalles is quoted as saying that they don't want to talk in the coming months: "I already said before, and Eto'o has confirmed it, that we will talk about the future at the end of the season.

This is not to put some more pressure on the club or to gain more time. The player is happy, Barcelona has still a lot to fight for and I think that at this moment the most wise thing is to focus all efforts on trying to win the three trophies that are still in play. When all this comes to an end, that will be the moment to negotiate."

Asked about the future of Eto'o, the player's brother David Eto'o said in an interview with Catalan radio station Onda Cero that the Cameroonian won't leave the club: "The fans can be calm because me brother is and will continue to be a Barça player. If the club wants, I think he will renew. If the club doesn't want it, that's when he'll start to look for another club."

Madrid sports tabloid As claims that Eto'o plans to ask for a pay rise of a little one million euro net, which would make him earn as much as Messi is doing at this moment. Barcelona would like to reach an agreement before the start of next season. Madrid news agency EFE claims that Barcelona will wait until the end of the season to see what will happen but that the club is already looking for alternatives.

Asked about his future, Eto'o meanwhile repeated earlier this week in an interview with French radio station Europe 1 that he doesn't exclude playing in France one day: "I still adore Paris Saint-Germain, even though I've always said that I would like to play with Marseille for one season. If one day I decide to come to France, I would like it to be at Marseille but why not somewhere else? But I won't deny that, given the current circumstances, it will difficultly happen."

Read more:
Inter wants to sign Eto'o in the summer
Eto'o postpones renewal negotiations
Madrid presidential candidate approached Eto'o

Madrid presidential candidate approached Eto'o

Catalan sports weekly paper Gol claims that former Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez, who is expected to be a candidate in the Madrid presidential elections in the summer, has given orders to his team to sound out Barcelona forward and Cameroon international Samuel Eto'o (27).

One of Pérez' closest staff members would have met with Josep Maria Mesalles, the agent of Eto'o, to ask if the Cameroon striker would want to join his bid.

Madrid sports tabloid As claims that Barcelona wants to renew the contract of Eto'o, who is ready to hold talks, but only at the end of the season because he now wants to focus on the rest of the season (read more here).

Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola, who last summer said Eto'o could leave the club, has changed his opinion because of the performances and the attitude of the player and the technical staff is now in favour of a renewal of the contract that expires in the summer of 2010.

Asked about his statements that he would like to finish his career at Mallorca (read more here), Eto'o has meanwhile repeated this wish in an interview with Mallorca local radio station Ràdio Mania and the club's official website: "I insist that I like this club a lot, it's in my heart. I insist that I would like to finish my football career playing one or two years at Mallorca. Whatever division they play in, although hopefully it will be the first."

Read more:
First positive meeting on Eto'o renewal
Could Eto'o join Real Madrid?
Eto'o postpones renewal negotiations

News of the day - Sunday

(This post will be updated throughout the day.)


After Milan pulled back because Barcelona asked 45 million euro, Eto'o's agent Josep Maria Mesalles talked with Real Madrid president Ramón Calderón to know if they were interested, but Calderón rejected the offer (Sport)
read more

Rijkaard has decided to take a sabatical year and therefore rejected offers from Chelsea, Ajax and Spartak Moscow, he will start listening to offers next year, Milan (as manager) and Ajax (as sports director) will probably be amongst the interested clubs (Sport)
read more

Offer from Roma for Eto'o

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Barcelona has received a formal 25 million euro° bid by Italian club AS Roma for Barcelona forward and Cameroonian international Samuel Eto'o (27).

This first bid could be a good starting point for further negotiations cause it's not far from the 30 million euro° (plus variables) that Barcelona is asking for the striker and the first formal talks would have been held between the two clubs.

A transfer agreement between Roma and Barcelona seems very likely with Barcelona wanting to close a deal before the 5th of August when they have to present the names of the players who will participate in the last preliminary round of the Champions League.

Roma has put aside 30 million euro° for this summer's transfers and wanted to spend that money initially by buying two players. With a world class player like Eto'o now on the market they are looking to change their strategy and could put all their money on Eto'o.

Both on an economic and on a sporting level, Roma could be an attractive option for Eto'o. His agent José María Mesalles has been informed of the talks between the clubs. Roma would have offered Eto'o a year salary of 6 million euro (plus incentives), while Eto'o would be asking 8 million euro (plus incentives).

Read more:

Agents deny Benzema-Eto'o swap

Barcelona president reopens door for Eto'o

Could Eto'o join Real Madrid?

Agents deny Benzema-Eto'o swap

Asked about the rumours about a swap deal including Lyon forward and French international Karim Benzema (20) and Barcelona forward and Cameroonian international Samuel Eto'o (27), the agents of both players have denied to Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo that they know anything about that kind of operation (read more here).

Josep Maria Mesalles, the agent of Eto'o, said that at this point there is nothing concrete: "No official of Barcelona has talked us about this and Olympique Lyon didn't contact me regarding the issue. All reports are just speculation."

Karim Djaziri, the agent of Benzema, rejected the possibily that the Frenchman would join Barcelona this summer and says the player still has to make progress: "Benzema won't leave Lyon this summer, that's a sure fact. Next year he could go, but this season he stays with Lyon."

Catalan sports paper Sport nevertheless insists and claims that the price for Benzema would be Eto'o plus 10 million euro°. The salary of Eto'o would be the main obstacle for the deal.

Read more:
Barcelona proposes Eto'o-Benzema swap
Benzema will not come this summer
Case closed: Ben Arfa

Barcelona proposes Eto'o-Benzema swap

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Barcelona has proposed French champions Olympique Lyon a swap deal including Lyon forward and French international Karim Benzema (20) and Barcelona forward and Cameroonian international Samuel Eto'o (27).

Olympique Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas asked Barcelona officials about the situation of Eto'o last week (read more here). Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain told Aulas to contact Eto'o's agent José María Mesalles, since Barcelona wants the player to find an agreement with an interested club first.

Begiristain nevertheless made clear to the president of the French club that Karim Benzema stays an absolute priority for Barcelona, for this or next summer, and that the transfer of Eto'o could only go through if the French international is included in the deal.

Lyon is expected to hold talks with the agent of Eto'o soon, although it seems at this point that the wage demands of the Cameroonian striker could make any deal very difficult.

Read more:
Benzema likes Barcelona
Is Caceres the Sergio Ramos of Barcelona?
Where could Eto'o play next season?

Eto'o agent doesn't exclude continuation

Asked about the situation of Barcelona forward and Cameroonian international Samuel Eto'o (27) (read more here), the player's agent José María Mesalles has said in an interview with Catalan sports paper Sport that he doesn't exclude that the Cameroonian in the end will stay in Barcelona:

"One cannot exclude that Eto'o continues in Barcelona next season. If there are no good offers, we're staying. At this moment we have several offers but they didn't convince us for different reasons. And it's not just an economical thing. This is a negotiation with several parties involved, so maybe we won't close a deal because Barcelona is asking too much. In any case, we're totally working together with the club to find a new club, but if we don't find one, the remaining option is that everything stays the way it is."

Read more:
Eto'o personally informed about exit plans
Looking for a left winger and a centre forward
Why was Eto'o yesterday in Uzbekistan?

Why was Eto'o yesterday in Uzbekistan?

Barcelona forward and Cameroonian international Samuel Eto'o (27) was yesterday in Uzbekistan, an Asian country who shares borders with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan.

Due to some unclear messages on the official website of Uzbek club Kuruvchi and statements made by Kuruvchi officials, there was since Monday a wave of speculation about an offer the Uzbek club would make to Barcelona and a record contract proposal for Eto'o. Some even claimed that Eto'o came to sign his contract and be presented.

The principal reason for Eto'o to travel to Uzbekistan was to give a master-class to some youth players of Kuruvchi. Josep Maria Mesalles, the agent of Eto'o, already made that clear before the trip in an interview with Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo:

"I can't say anything about a transfer, I can only confirm that Samuel will give a master-class at this club. I won't say anything to the club's officials for having leaked some information about a possible transfer. If I would do that, I would show the whole world that they were lying. And I don't think that's a wise thing."

Eto'o nevertheless confirmed yesterday at a press conference in Uzbekistan that he had received an offer from Kuruvchi and that he would take it into consideration when deciding on his future:

"Kuruvchi is interested and that's one of the reasons why I'm here, to know more about the people of the club and about this wonderful country. I have received a formal offer and I will think about it. At this moment I have several good offers from interesting clubs and I will choose what's best for me. When I have made my decision, I will inform Kuruvchi first about it."

French sports paper L'Equipe, who seemed to have good inside information all week long, claims that Eto'o has rejected a dazzling 50 million euro° offer (40 million euro salary and 10 million euro signing bonus) to play for one season with the leader of the Uzbek competition.

I don't know a lot of things about Kuruvchi or Uzbekistan...

but th€ f€w thing$ I know pl€a$€d m€ a lot

Read more:
Eto'o wants to talk with Guardiola
Eto'o could stay
Guardiola's first day at the office

Eto'o will leave

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Barcelona forward and Cameroon international Samuel Eto'o (27) has decided to leave Barcelona after the events of the last months.

With the decision taken, the Cameroonian wishes to accelerate the negotiations because he wants to start the pre-season with his new club, allowing him to get back to his best physical condition as soon as possible. Inter Milan and AC Milan would have made him the best offers, although the Chelsea option is not to be excluded yet.

Eto'o has asked for a meeting with Barcelona officials tomorrow to discuss, together with his agent Josep María Mesalles, the offers he has received over the last months and to see what's the best option for both the player and the club. Eto'o wants Barcelona to receive the right transfer price for his transfer.

Barcelona economic vice president confirmed in an interview with Catalan radio station RAC 1 that a meeting is scheduled: "We have received several offers. We will talk in the coming days."

Read more:

Chelsea leads the race to sign Eto'o

Eto'o will only leave for the right price
Shevchenko prefers to stay with Chelsea