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Arsenal in race for Eto'o
By Steve Stammers, Evening Standard Last updated at 00:00am on 11.08.03
Samuel Eto'o: Arsenal have joined the race to sign the Chelsea target
Chelsea look like facing opposition in the transfer market for the first time this summer as Arsenal are set to move for Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o.
The Stamford Bridge club continue to keep their options open on the Real Mallorca striker after verbally agreeing a £6.9million deal and then spending £15.8m on Parma's Adrian Mutu.
It is understood Claudio Ranieri still wants Eto'o - especially if Chelsea offload Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink - but until that happens Arsenal believe they can capitalise on any delay.
Mallorca's asking price would appear to put the player beyond Arsene Wenger's tight budget but Sylvain Wiltord may be used in a player-plus-cash deal with the French international with £2m cash going to the Spanish club.
Wiltord has yet to agree a new contract to extend his current agreement which has one year to run and negotiations are now deadlocked.
Eto'o's power and pace as a more traditional centre-forward to Thierry Henry would provide manager Wenger with more options for his forward line. Eto'o scored for Mallorca against Fulham yesterday in a 2-1 friendly defeat.
There is still a question mark against the Highbury future of striker Francis Jeffers. Arsenal were willing to sell him this summer and there was interest from Birmingham, Blackburn and his old club Everton.
Jeffers will also have to serve a three-match ban after he was sent off against Manchester United for a petulant kick in the FA Community Shield yesterday which finished 1-1 which United won on penalties.
The striker apologised to Wenger afterwards who admitted referee Steve Bennett was right to show the red card. But Henry believes that Neville - booked in the first half - was fortunate to stay on.
He said: "We will give Franny our support because that is the way we are at Arsenal. Maybe if the ref had seen the incident differently, he would have seen the foul on him by Neville and given that a card. That would have been his second."
Meanwhile, contract talks with Patrick Vieira and Robert Pires should be concluded this week. Pires is set to finalise his deal tomorrow and Vieira on Wednesday. Wenger is confident both will sign before the opening game with Everton on Saturday.
