FC Barcelona: What Is Samuel Eto’o Thinking?!

Samuel Eto’o is sensationally considering a move to Uzbekistan Club Kuruvchi.

Barcelona has already let go of one of their once-prized assets after allowing Ronaldinho to sign with Italian giants AC Milan. It now appears that another one of their stars could be heading for the exit door.    

Eto’o’s visit to Tashkent, Uzbekistan has fueled transfer speculation, and the player himself has confirmed Kurvuchi’s interest. 

"There was interest from Kuruvchi. That is one of the reasons I'm here, to get to know the people and all the interesting things about this country," he said.

Eto’o was once considered one of the best forwards in Europe, but a lackluster couple of seasons for Barcelona in the last two years have seen the 27-year-old decrease in value.

Eto’o was an integral part of the Barcelona side that won the La Liga in 2005 and 2006, scoring an outstanding 50 league goals over the two campaigns. The Cameroon striker also added 10 goals to his tally in the Champions League, and even scored in the Champions League final in Barcelona’s 2-1 victory over Arsenal.

But after only scoring 11 league goals in 2007 and allowing Real Madrid to steal the La Liga crown, Eto’o has failed to rediscover his fine goal-scoring form that saw him become a fan favorite at Nou Camp.  

He did manage to score 16 goals in 18 games in the 2008 campaign, but clearly it wasn’t enough with Barcelona’s new manager, Pep Guardiola, stating Eto’o was not in his plans. A move away from the Catalan Club for Eto’o is imminent, but now it’s just a matter of where Eto’o will go.    

Eto’o has been linked with a move to both Siere A and the English Premier League, but it now seems the former African Footballer of the Year is set to shock the world of football by opting to sign for the leaders of the Uzbek Championship. 

"We have made a very good offer and are quite serious of getting Samuel to play here," Kurvuchi coach Mirjalol Kasymov told the club’s official website.

Kurvuchi are reported to have offered Eto’o a very lucrative package and the Cameroonian is strongly considering a move to the Uzbekistan side.

"I have several good offers from various clubs at present. I'm planning to return to Barcelona and starting from Saturday I will consider all my options, including the one from Kuruvchi," said Eto’o. 

Samuel Eto’o may not be the most highly rated striker in Europe any more, if he ever was, but he is certainly still capable of playing in any prolific league, whether it’s the La Liga, Siere A, or even the English Premier League. 

Why would he want to swoop down so low and sign for a virtually unknown club like Kurvuchi? It makes no sense. 

At 27, Eto’o is still in the prime of his career and could easily play for one of Europe’s top clubs. Eto’o’s decision could make or break his career. In the meantime, all we can do is wait, and of course, speculate about where Eto’o will play next season.