Chelsea have signed Samuel Eto’o from Anzhi Makhachkala on a one-year contract.
The transfer of the Cameroonian looks to have finally marked the end of Chelsea’s pursuit of Wayne Rooney in this transfer window, as Eto’o had always been Chelsea’s Plan B option for a striker throughout the summer if a move for Rooney did not materialise. It now appears that Rooney’s immediate future is at Old Trafford, after he took to his Facebook page yesterday to publicly thank the United fans for their support in the 0-0 draw with Chelsea on Monday night.
The 32-year-old Eto’o will reportedly be taking a £10m pay cut from his £17m per year salary with Anzhi to reunite with former manager Jose Mourinho at Chelsea. However, the Russian side are believed to have given him a £1m lump sum pay-off to get him off their wage bill.
Eto’o won the treble under Mourinho at Internazionale in 2010, and has spoken of his desire to play under Mourinho during the summer.
“There is only one Jose Mourinho,” Eto’o had said. “I have played under a lot of great coaches but there is no other character in the game like Jose.”