Martinez Ready To Let Go Of Samuel Eto'o From Everton

     

The Everton manager, Roberto Martínez, is prepared to offload Samuel Eto’o just five months after signing the four-times Africa player of the year.
The former Cameroon international was omitted from the Everton squad that lostan enthralling FA Cup third-round replay at West Ham United on Tuesday, with his place on the bench taken by the academy graduate Conor McAleny. Martínez explained after the
9-8 penalty shootout defeat that “a couple of clubs” had inquired about Eto’o prior to the game and refused to rule out the prospect of the 33-year-old not playing for Everton again.
Sampdoria and a former club, Internazionale, are both interested in taking the striker back to Italy, while the three-times European Cup winner has been offered to MLS clubs. A return to Serie A appears more likely given the forward’s wage demands.

Internazionale’s vice-president Javier Zanetti has said that his former team-mate “wants to come back to Italy. His return in Serie A would be most welcome.” The player’s agent, Claudio Vigorelli, meanwhile, claimed: “We will continue working towards coming to Sampdoria,” but admitted there was “uncertainty” over the salary.
Everton would command a nominal fee for the former Barcelona forward should he depart this month but Martínez’s willingness to let Eto’o go represents a sudden deterioration in the veteran’s standing at Goodison Park. The forward signed a two-year contract in August, albeit with the second year dependent on making 15 starts this term. The extension appeared a formality by the end of October when Eto’o had scored four goals in nine appearances and Martínez was praising the striker’s influence on and off the pitch.

“It’s natural he’ll get another year,” the Everton manager said following the striker’s two-goal performance against Burnley. “I always thought his period at Everton would be a minimum of two years because the option reflects that.”

Despite making 12 starts for Everton so far, Eto’o has not appeared in three of the team’s past four games. Martínez insisted on Monday that no “assets” would be leaving Everton this month but the Cameroonian evidently does not fall into that category.

The Everton manager said after the Cup exit: “With Samuel, we have a really good relationship and we are looking at his situation. We had a couple of clubs contact us in the last 12 hours so I decided it was better now to leave him out of the squad and allow us a different focus in the group. We will decide in the next few days the next step. He’s been fantastic for us, we’ve got a really good relationship and we will see what’s the next best step for both parties.”

Guardian