Sir Alex Ferguson has identified Barcelonas Samuel Etoo
as Manchester Uniteds No 1 summer transfer target. The United boss
has said he hopes to make three major signings to strengthen the
new Premier League champions and Sportsmail understands the first
steps have already been taken to sign Cameroon striker Etoo, 26,
for around £27million.
Pini Zahavi, the Israeli super agent whose son Alex is a youth team
striker at Barcelona, is being enlisted to try to complete the
deal, while Etoos friendship with Rio Ferdinand who
interestingly is a client of Zahavis is also thought to be a
factor in Uniteds favour. Only this week Ferguson talked of adding
pace to his attack and few are quicker than Etoo. "When youre
building a team you need to think about balance," "Speed is
important to us. At the moment thats what were looking at.
Whether we can get more speed."
Etoo has been unsettled at the Nou Camp since a fall-out with
manager Frank Rijkaard and team-mate Ronaldinho in February. The
three-times African Player of the Year had just returned after
missing four months with a knee injury when Rijkaard accused him
publicly of refusing to play as a substitute against Santander.
Furious Etoo said: "Telling a news conference I didnt want to
play is the behaviour of a bad person." Adding that he had not had
time to warm up, he said: "I have always thought about the group
first. That is what hurt me most."
Competition for a striker who has scored 10 goals in his last 14
appearances for Barcelona is sure to be strong. Chelsea have also
expressed an interest as have AC Milan, Liverpool and Arsenal.
According to sources, Etoo has already indicated that a move to
Old Trafford would appeal to him.
If Ferguson is successful, he will have spent most of his £50m
summer transfer budget on two players, with Bayern Munich likely to
want £20m for their England midfielder Owen Hargreaves. The Germans
desperately need funds for a major overhaul of their faltering
squad and supremo Franz Beckenbauer said: "We have to build a new
team. It will come at a high price and we have to find ways of
paying it."
