RAFA'S READY TO KOP ETO'O
By David Maddock 28/02/2007
Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea want to sign Barcelona's Samuel Eto'o, but Liverpool may have the upper hand.
How Liverpool's new stadium in the city's Stanley Park will look. It will probably be named New Anfield.
By David Maddock 28/02/2007
Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea want to sign Barcelona's Samuel Eto'o, but Liverpool may have the upper hand.
LIVERPOOL manager Rafael Benitez has been told to spend big in the summer - and has started at the very top by making an approach for Samuel Eto'o.
Benitez was assured that he will finally be given the funds to compete with the major powers in Europe, when the £450million Anfield takeover by American tycoons Tom Hicks and George Gillett is completed.
Top of his shopping list is a striker, and Benitez has paved the way for a summer move by approaching Barcelona over the services of Eto'o.
The Cameroon star has fallen out with team-mate Ronaldinho and manager Frank Rijkaard, and sources at the Nou Camp suggest that he will go - unless the pair are forced out of the exit door before him.
Chelsea and Arsenal are also both tracking Eto'o, but Liverpool have stolen a march by using Benitez's Spanish contacts.
The former Valencia boss tried to sign Eto'o from Real Mallorca when he sold Michael Owen to Real Madrid two years ago, but was beaten to the punch by big-spending Barca.
Now though, he has the money to make an offer that will be hard to refuse, with the wealthy American owners sanctioning a £20million deal for the right striker.
Anfield chief executive Rick Parry said yesterday: "The future of the club is in safe hands, and from the team perspective, funds will be made available for the manager to strengthen what is already an excellent playing squad. In tandem with this, building work will start very soon on our new stadium complex in Stanley Park."
How Liverpool's new stadium in the city's Stanley Park will look. It will probably be named New Anfield.
Benitez has already drawn up a hit list of forwards he wants to bring to the club, with Eto'o at the top.
And it has been revealed in Italy that Liverpool have made contact with Udinese over their £6millionrated striker Vincenzo Iaquinta.
The Italy star - who played in the World Cup Final in the summer - has been told he can leave the club at the end of the season.
While Benitez may be looking to clear some of his forwards out, one who will not be leaving is Dirk Kuyt.
And the Dutchman believes that Liverpool have come into form at just the right time, and are ready to put one over their old rivals United at the weekend.
"We need to go and approach the game as we've done in the last week," he said.
"If you can win in Barcelona with their quality, you know you can beat most teams."
mirror.co.uk
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