The former Barcelona and Inter Milan striker joins the Blues on a £7m one-year contract from Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala.
Chelsea FC have confirmed the club have signed Samuel Eto’o, via their official website.
Eto’o will rejoin manager Jose Mourinho on a one-year contract worth £7m – £10m per year less than what he was being paid at his previous club Anzhi Makhachkala.
The move involves no transfer fee on Chelsea’s behalf, as Anzhi were simply looking to rid themselves of the player. The side have had a total fire-sale this season as billionaire owner Suleyman Kerimov looked to both slash the wage bill and increase camaraderie in the dressing room by removing the over-paid superstars.
“I am very happy to be here but also anxious because I want to get playing as soon as possible. It wasn’t a hard decision. I saw the qualities Chelsea have, and I was very happy with Jose Mourinho before, so when the opportunity came, I was very happy to take it,” Eto’o said.
Together, Mourinho and Eto’o led Inter Milan to the greatest season in the illustrious club’s history as they won the treble in the 2010-11 season.
Prior to his spells in Russia and Italy, Eto’o was a club legend at FC Barcelona. He scored 108 goals in 145 games, winning three league titles and another two Champions League trophies in the process.
Of course also a hero in his homeland, the 32-year-old Cameroonian has scored 55 goals in 112 international matches on his way to collecting two African Cup of Nations trophies, an Olympic gold medal in Association Football and four African Player of the Year awards.
The arrival of such an experienced and undeniably talented striker will add yet another edge to an already offensively-fearsome Chelsea side. It should also signal the exit of at least one of their three current strikers – Demba Ba, Fernando Torres and Romelu Lukaku – with Demba Ba recently being offered to his former club Newcastle United, as well as a host of other European sides.
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