SAMUEL ETO'O AMAZING WAGE DEMAND

Samuel Eto'o: I want 1million euros a month from Manchester City

That's how much City will have to pay him

MARK HUGHES - waiting

By AIDAN MAGEE, 13/06/2009

SAMUEL ETO'O has asked Manchester City to pay him an astonishing ONE MILLION Euros a MONTH - after tax - as he seeks to cash in on football's money-mad summer.

After a week in which Real Madrid agreed two world-record transfer fees for Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo, the demands of Barcelona striker Eto'o would make him the richest player in the Premier League.

Eto'o, 28, has vowed to cash in on the last major contract of his stellar career. He knows City's oil-rich owner wants a superstar to drive their Champions League ambitions and will move to Eastlands if they meet his wage demands.

At 12million Euros a year, cash in hand, that will cost City and boss Mark Hughes a staggering £200,000 a week. At current exchange rates, a five-year contract will set Sheikh Mansour back £51m.

The player's reasoning is based on being out of contract at Barcelona next summer and available on a free transfer. He believes clubs should be willing to put the money they would pay Barca now into his wages instead.

Wages

He remains angry with the Catalan giants for transfer-listing him last summer and has vowed not to compromise on his salary as they try to sell him again this summer.

Manchester United, Liverpool and Inter Milan are among the other clubs that have inquired about the striker's services - and all have been quoted the same wages.

Jose Mourinho's Inter pulled the plug on a proposed cash plus Eto'o swap deal for Zlatan Ibrahimovic several weeks ago, when the Cameroon star insisted on his million a month after tax.

Barca have also gone through the motions of offering their leading scorer a new deal but say they cannot make Eto'o their best-paid player.

Global

Barca president Joan Laporta declared: "A lot of clubs would like Eto'o in their team. We will do our best in order to renew his contract, because, in my opinion, he is the best striker in the world. But we have a wage structure that we will respect.

"We'd like to renew the contract with Eto'o but not at any price. In this global economic crisis, we have to be an example as well. I hope he understands and we will see in the next weeks."

Liverpool are in a similar position, while United are highly unlikely to break their carefully regimented wage structure for Eto'o despite seeking two new strikers. That leaves City in the box seat.

Wherever he ends up, Eto'o will negotiate his deal himself. Known for his strength of character and intelligence, the African does not have an agent and simply employs a lawyer to handle the paperwork on his contracts.

Your comments

This article has 32 comments

He have played alot and proven alot, now he most also play money like the orthers . what can David Bergham play that Samuel etoo cant play?

By EWANG.. Posted August 12 2009 at 6:48 PM.

Mark Hughes go get him and add more glory to Manchester city because at the end you will find optimism in all your efforts,,,,don,t care about the colour and the race,,hope you know what i mean,,,,,,,Welcome eto,o and we hope you will give us the happiness we have been seeking for the past years,,,,thx........

By Boma.. Posted June 29 2009 at 8:12 AM.

A fascinating and swift striker like Eto,deserves more than he has asked.If city wants talent then Eto should be received with jubilation because this marks the beginning of huge success in Man city.One should have over the champions league finals and see the amazing gaol that he scored besides,he is the world best striker.Victory comes with talented players like Eto,so i urge man city to sign eto without a second thought.

By Marchand.. Posted June 28 2009 at 12:19 PM.

MIKE YU Stupid JT is 1000000000000000000000000000000000x better than Samuel eto

By Harry.. Posted June 21 2009 at 2:06 AM.

Well, that's the price to pay to get the best striker of the world... He can deliver in big occasions and he's a reliable one and someone who will get Man city on Top. He's consistent years after years.
So why not get him what he wants?

By Phil.. Posted June 20 2009 at 5:56 AM.

That is one of the sacrifice city have to made before breaking into the top four! Look at chealsea as an example. common mark, pay him up he worth it!

By Bankole yusuf.. Posted June 17 2009 at 12:36 PM.

Absolutlely outrageous....a mil a month after taxes...he's past his prime anyway...plus i'm sure hew won't succeed in the premier league and will be even worse than robinho off the pitch.

By Ja.. Posted June 16 2009 at 7:23 PM.

He deserves it.He is one of the world best players so should be paid the best too.

By Tepong Elvis.. Posted June 15 2009 at 2:15 PM.

Three times best African of the year, best ever goalscorer in Africans Nations cup, Best striker in barca football history, best striker in mallorca football history, He is simply the best . Two champions leagues, two spanish league champions two spanish cup, two afriacn cup of nations, one Olympic gold medal!!! who else out there can match Samuel Eto'o. He is simply the best and even at 250k per week city will get him on the cheap. and Pep is foul to let such a prodigy go shame as he has raised up pep profile as a coach and without him he wouldnt have such such a success in his first year as a coach. Etoo prob is his colour and origin. he cannot sale more shirts like beckham or kaka otherwise he is a class above all. he deserves respect please!!!!

By romy.. Posted June 15 2009 at 11:17 AM.

chelsea should sign him. you know why ? think ?? dont get the answer yet? fint the key word

By poilik.. Posted June 15 2009 at 7:21 AM.

Eto`o , You really crazy to demand such a huge amount, can you pay that if you own a Football club?

By Mr.Philip.. Posted June 14 2009 at 10:18 PM.

If City won't to buy success, that's the price that comes with. Eto'e is world class and will deliver though. Not forgetting he is sacrificing CL footbal next season, as well as the absence of great midfielders like Inester and Xavi... meaning it's going to be a hard job there at City and will need every penny ofd the sweat. Smart thinking.

By Don Figo.. Posted June 14 2009 at 8:28 PM.

LIVERPOOL FOR 85K a week, Champions league glory, possibly the league and the FA cup, the Carling Cup, World Team Cup, all those MEDALS!.
So why not and the match bonus's, so why not if you have what it takes, SAMUEL!

By Shahzad Mahmood.. Posted June 14 2009 at 7:59 PM.

lol. so many glory hunters. where were all these city fans all these years?

By ogc.. Posted June 14 2009 at 5:24 PM.

Mark, if am u,i'll pay that price for Eto'o.
he can deliver,just like he did with majorrca,then bacelona in all the seasons and in his national team.(cameroon).He is good.

By bende.. Posted June 14 2009 at 4:32 PM.

come on eto that is to much in this hard time glab 160,000 a week dude.

By GERALD MANFRED.. Posted June 14 2009 at 3:11 PM.

thats nothing to city!!!!!! lets get him signed! proberly the best striker in la liga and will be the best striker in the premier league

By billy nixon.. Posted June 14 2009 at 3:10 PM.

if City wanted to pay Kaka 250k a week, why should they hesitate to pay Etoo 230k A week as well

By Mike.. Posted June 14 2009 at 2:39 PM.

If JT get's 150k a week then Eto'o should get 1500k! JT is an awful player.

By Jeff.. Posted June 14 2009 at 1:46 PM.

Silly comparing JT with Eto. A defender with a striker. Eto is worth it as well as JT if anyone cares

By ogbis.. Posted June 14 2009 at 1:32 PM.

Living in North America I find all the bashing of City's efforts to buy their way to the top pretty funny. The EPL is a joke. Only four teams have any chance of winning. There is zero competitive balance. The reason is you must not only have great players but have them in depth and only those with loads of cash can hope to win. And the whole thing perpetuates itself as only those who succeed generate enough cash to buy great players. And if someone dares try to crash the party they are ridiculed?!? It would be great to see some new blood at the top of the heap.

By Dave.. Posted June 14 2009 at 12:44 PM.

He will make the club £10m a year in merchandise and shirt sales.....

He is the worlds best striker without any doubt about it -you don't score goals fr Barcelona (Champions Of Europe) unless you are truly great - he has scored over 30 last season alone!

By JohnG.. Posted June 14 2009 at 12:55 PM.

Is he so sure that he would make the grade in the EPL what happens if he's a flop and your still having to pay 200k a wk? i would offer maybe 100k then have the rest made up on goals scored ,assists and win bonus.

By ROSCO.. Posted June 14 2009 at 11:42 AM.

You poor deluded morons, you don't care what it costs as long as you can chase success even though you have little chance of getting it. Even if you were to win the prem in May, it would be forgotten by July as the next season nears. The sad thing is you silly people do not have a clue what £200,000 looks like.

By David P.. Posted June 14 2009 at 10:59 AM.

He is a superb striker an accurate finisher and has eyes for goals and in great matches he will always stand up for his team ask man u i think they know it better. frankly i think he deserves the pay. he is ten times much better than TERRY

By shama.. Posted June 14 2009 at 10:41 AM.

his worth it... City wanted to play a bad player like J Terry £150.000 a year so why not pay ETO'O £200.000?

By FRANK.. Posted June 14 2009 at 9:34 AM.

Well n'cle have just paid Owen 110k-w for the last 3 yrs on top of paying Madrid 17 million, so 200k is nothing for a club like city!!....go get him hughes

By jack arnold.. Posted June 14 2009 at 8:01 AM.

Get him signed. Even at this price hes worth it.

By AG.. Posted June 14 2009 at 7:46 AM.

200k a week?? There is no way on this Earth is he worth that, half maybe. He is a quality player and a great striker but he isnt the best and with the attitude he has, he is as likely to go into a strop at the drop of a hat as he is to score goals. Man city might be loaded but you'd certainly hope some common sense still remains at the club and they tell him where to go.

By Munro Gow.. Posted June 14 2009 at 7:14 AM.

Totally unacceptable.

By Pam.. Posted June 14 2009 at 5:06 AM.

That's peanuts to City.

By theo.. Posted June 14 2009 at 12:07 AM.

haha o yes he is coming to city

MARK HUGHES LISTEN TO ME AND PAY IT!!!

By Lee.. Posted June 13 2009 at 11:16 PM.

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