Breaking Down What Samuel Eto'o Brings to Chelsea

Chelsea confirmed the signing of Samuel Eto’o on a free transfer from Anzhi Makachkala on August 30. Having spent the summer chasing after the signature of Wayne Rooney, a one-year, £7 million deal for Eto’o looks to have sated Mourinho’s appetite for a striker.

Although he has been playing in Russia for the past two years, the Cameroonian veteran is still a class apart.

Eto’o is the all-time leading goalscorer in the African Cup of Nations and has been voted as the continent’s Player of the Year four times. In addition to his international success, he has scored 244 goals at club level, with a career ratio of a goal every other game and, at 32 years old, maintains his reputation as one of the most feared strikers in world football.

Eto’o likes to play on the shoulder of the last defender, using his strength and pace to turn half-chances into spectacular strikes. He also has the confidence and skill to run at defenders, something that has been missing from Chelsea’s strikers since Didier Drogba’s departure.

The 4-2-4 formation at Old Trafford may have been unsuccessful for the Blues, but the addition of Eto’o will make it a more viable option. His talent means that he can play anywhere in attack, and although his crossing is identified by whoscored.com as one of his weaknesses, he has the skill to start and finish an attacking move.

He also has experience of working under Mourinho, having won the treble with him at Inter Milan. Ben Jefferson of The Express quotes The Special One as saying:

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Samuel comes to England with the same objective with which I went to Spain - he wants to be the first one to win the Spanish, the Italian and the English league as a player. He always wanted to play in the Premier League so he comes with big motivation.

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This is backed up by a report from the Sky Sports archives that claims that Eto’o issued a “come and get me” plea to Chelsea in 2004 when he was looking for a move away from Real Mallorca. His assertion then that “the best thing about Chelsea are the fans - and I'd have them in my pocket after two games” will have sustained some damage after his 2005 comments about the club (reported in The Mirror), but there is no doubt that if he keeps up his consistent goalscoring, any animosity will be quickly forgotten.

Eto’o offers a different quality to the other strikers in the squad and has the ambition and drive to spur him to instant success. With Chelsea’s policy of offering players over 30 a maximum of one year on a contract, he knows that this might be his only chance to impress in the Premier League.

If he remains injury-free, Eto'o will bring goals galore—and hopefully a trophy or two—back to Stamford Bridge.