Eto'o for sale

Spanish football weekly paper Don Balón claims that Barcelona president Joan Laporta has decided to put Barcelona forward and Cameroon international Samuel Eto'o (27) for sale in the summer. Barcelona is tempted by the idea of starting a new era with a clean sheet. The new team would be built around Iniesta, Messi and Bojan.

Several reasons are mentioned for the decision to sell Eto'o. His declarations of last week about wanting to leave if the club doesn't win a trophy next year (read more here) were - once again - not appreciated by the Barcelona board nor by his team-mates. Nor by the fans, who never really have connected with Eto'o like they have done or all still doing with players like Ronaldinho or Messi.

Some people also suggest that Eto'o, due to several serious injuries over the last two years, has lost that extra pace and strength that he had before and will therefore never be the same decisive player he once was. His performances in the last Champions League games (no more goals after the group stage) could support this thesis. Selling the Cameroonian forward would also result to be an economicly lucrative operation which would allow Barcelona invest more in the new team.

All this leads Barcelona to be willing to listen to offers coming in for Eto'o during the summer transfer window. Chelsea and Tottenham would be considering to make a bid.

When discussing the transfer of Dinamo Zagreb midfielder Luka Modric (read more here), Tottenham manager Juande Ramos said in an interview with Croatian sports paper Sportske Novosti that he needs players like Modric and Eto'o to close the gap with the English top-four clubs Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool: "You cannot do anything overnight, I'm setting up a project for the next five seasons. For great achievements you need great players like Eto'o and Modric, who we have just signed."

Don Balón claims that Eto'o is not at all considering to leave Barcelona this summer. The player would nevertheless have asked his agents to sound out the market to know more about the transfer price European top clubs would be willing to pay for him.

Read more:
Eto'o wants to win trophies
First talks between Eto'o and Tottenham
Eto'o could be Fenerbahce star transfer

Expensier Capel stays on the list

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Sevilla left winger and Spanish youth international Diego Capel (20) is still on the Barcelona transfer list for the summer.

Because Capel, who spent one year in the Barcelona youth academy (read more here), played last weekend his fourtieth official game with Sevilla, his buyout clause automatically rised from 12 to 15 million euro° (read more here).

Read more:
Looking for a left winger
Capel buyout clause on the rise
Capel has madridista background

Ronaldinho is Barcelona history for Rijkaard

Asked about the future of Barcelona playmaker Ronaldinho (28), Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard talked in an interview with Catalan television channel TV3 as if the decision on an exit of the Brazilian has already been taken: "I hope that when he leaves Barcelona, he will be able to again show the world what a great player he is."

Rijkaard said Ronaldinho should be given the opportunity to play the last home game of the season: "If he's fit, he has to play the last game and have the possibility to say farewell to the fans. We have to focus on the things he has represented for Barcelona and this cannot be forgotten. I for sure will never forget all the things he has done for the club."

Read more:
Ronaldinho is learning Italian
Premier League clubs back in for Ronaldinho
Ronnie's week: Barcelona-Milan

Inter willing to pay Giovani buyout clause

Italian football site Il Reca claims that Inter Milan is interested in Barcelona right wing attacker and Mexican international Giovani Dos Santos (18). The contract of Giovani with Barcelona would expire in 2009 and because the parties cannot find an agreement on a renewal, Barcelona wants to sell the player in the summer.

Inter president Massimo Moratti dreams about linking Dos Santos with Inter youngster Mario Balotelli. The Italian club would therefore be willing to pay the buyout clause of 30 million euro°. Chelsea is also interested in Dos Santos.

Read more:
Giovani not thinking about leaving
Father Giovani confirms Manchester City
Giovani four more years

Sylvinho will accept renewal offer

Catalan sports paper Sport repeats today that Barcelona has offered Barcelona left back defender Sylvinho Mendes (34), whose current contract expires at the end of this season, a one-year contract renewal (read more here). The Brazilian defender will accept the renewal (read more here).

The paper claims that the Barcelona technical staff had put Sylvinho last season on the list of players who had to leave in the summer of 2007. Because no agreement with another club could be reached, Sylvinho in the end stayed at the club.

Read more:
Sylvinho accepts renewal offer
Renewal offer for Sylvinho
Sylvinho willing to renew