Liverpool: Liverpool’s pursuit of a new striker has prompted Brendan Rodgers to consider a short-term deal for Samuel Eto’o.
The 33-year-old Cameroon striker is a free agent after being released by Chelsea at the end of last season.
Ajax are in talks with the former Barcelona and Inter Milan forward, but Rodgers has a pressing need for more firepower and there have been discussions about the merits of a deal for the African.
Liverpool have more expensive and younger targets, but price, availability and — in the case of the recent aborted deal for Loic Remy — fitness have scuppered Rodgers’ plans to sign a direct replacement for Luis Suarez.
Not everyone at Anfield will be convinced that recruiting Eto’o at this stage of his career is the ideal solution but, in the absence of obvious alternatives, it may prove a necessity to ensure Liverpool do not go into a new season with only Daniel Sturridge and Rickie Lambert to choose from.
Eto’o spent last season at Stamford Bridge but it was not a happy reunion with his former Inter manager Jose Mourinho. Mourinho made a reference to the African’s age, and did not hide his feelings throughout the season about what he felt was a poor return from all his strikers.
Eto’o scored nine times at Stamford Bridge before being released, although if Liverpool are to move they will have to do so quickly, with Ajax confirming advanced talks.
‘Great drive’
Ajax sporting director Marc Overmars says Eto’o is close to moving to Dutch football. “Samuel seemed very hungry to play for Ajax,” said Overmars. “He is fit and has a great drive to succeed once again. We don’t want to block the growing process of our talents, but if it is possible to sign a world-class player like Eto’o, then why not? It will be fantastic.”
Despite the loss of Suarez and Rodgers’ difficulties in replacing him, Liverpool have been backed to continue their impressive form of last season by Jurgen Klopp, the Borussia Dortmund manager.
Klopp, who remains one of the most sought-after coaches in Europe, can relate to the difficulties in readjusting following the sale of a prized asset. Dortmund have become accustomed to seeing their best players lured away, Bayern Munich waving the chequebook in recent years to attract the likes of Robert Lewandowski and Mario Gotze.
Klopp has been able to protect Dortmund’s Champions League credentials during that period and his two Bundesliga titles challenged the dominance of Bayern for a long period.
Having lost 4-0 to Rodgers’ team in Sunday’s friendly at Anfield, he sees no reason why Liverpool cannot evolve and continue to compete against the more heavily fancied Premier League sides.
“It’s a great club and they did well last year,” Klopp said. “If you make the right decisions after you miss [the title] you can be stronger. Maybe Liverpool this year is the big team in the Premier League. We will see.
“At the moment it seems to be no problem [without Suarez]. They have a plan maybe, but I don’t know. We can play better than we did on Sunday, and Liverpool can play better too. This was not the ideal time to face Liverpool.”
Rodgers has often described Dortmund as a prototype club for Liverpool, developing talent rather than hunting for the most expensive, highest-earning superstars, like Bayern Munich do in German football, or Chelsea and Manchester City in England.
“He is an inspirational figure,” Rodgers said. “What his team have done over the last number of seasons has been nothing short of incredible.”
