Blues on Eto'o chase

CITY want Samuel Eto'o to spearhead their attack... and their push to become a global brand. The Blues are in hot pursuit of the Barcelona strike ace, but face stiff competition, primarily from Inter Milan. And sources in Spain claim that Eto'o, at the age of 28, wants Champions League football next season, which would make the Blues also-rans. But City hold a couple of aces in that they would be able to out-muscle Inter when it comes to paying the Cameroon star's wages - and they want him to be the figurehead for their plans to conquer the African market.

City's owners hope to give the club a "cult" following in the Middle East and then roll out the brand to the rest of the planet, focusing specifically on Asia and Africa. The Blues will play three games in South Africa next month as part of their strategy, and the first staging of a World Cup finals on that continent next summer is expected to trigger a surge in football interest. They also have one eye on the Arab north African countries.

But Eto'o is revered throughout Africa as the only man to have been named African Footballer of the Year three times. And City, as well as landing a top player, see him as a great marketing tool. Blues officials have already spoken to Barcelona about a possible £30m signing, though it is understood that reports of the player wanting a staggering £320,000-a-week wage are wildly exaggerated.

"You have to look at Asia and Africa," said City chairman Khaldoon al Mubarak. "These are markets which are growing and where there is a tremendous football base. "These are markets where if you position yourself well enough, you have an opportunity to really capture. "In Europe there is a traditional football market. But you go to Asia and Africa and you have a good opportunity to build on your base and their huge populations. But the first phase of City's expansion is to try to make the Blues big in the Middle East. Al Mubarak said: "I am very confident that over the next two seasons we will be very big in the Middle East."

Source - Manchester Evening News