Liverpool Transfer News: Few Alternatives Make Samuel Eto'o a Realistic Option

Rumours that Liverpool may be looking into a deal for former Chelsea striker Samuel Eto'o sent shockwaves through social media, and at this point, a lack of alternative options makes a move for the Cameroon international a realistic scenario.

According to the Telegraph's Chris Bascombe, Brendan Rodgers' interest in the 33-year-old is very real, with Dutch side Ajax also negotiating with the forward.

Marc Overmars, who currently works as a sporting director for Ajax, showed great enthusiasm when discussing the prospect of signing the player:

"

Samuel seemed very hungry to play for Ajax. He is fit and has a great drive to succeed once again. 

We don’t want to block the growing process of our talents but if it is possible to sign a world class player like Eto’o, then why not? It will be fantastic.

"

Liverpool fans didn't seem to share his enthusiasm on Twitter, to put it lightly, and their reaction was perhaps understandable. Eto'o scored nine goals with Chelsea last season and the Blues didn't rate him enough to extend his contract.

In a way, a Reds move for Eto'o would come across as the club settling for Chelsea's scraps, and that is not something fans would—or should—feel comfortable with.

To make matters worse, The Guardian's Andy Hunter suggests the former Barcelona man isn't some cheap veteran looking for one more year of top-class football. He claims Eto'o earned some £7 million with Chelsea last year and those wage demands wouldn't stop Liverpool from testing the waters.

The Anfield Index summed up the reaction of 99 percent of Liverpool fans with this one tweet:

Bleacher Report's Matt Ladson made an excellent assessment of what this potential signing would mean for Liverpool. The word he used is "uninspiring," and fans probably couldn't put it any better without reverting to foul language.

Squawka's Pitchside Europe (for Eurosport) sketches another picture, however—that of a necessity.

Daniel Sturridge and Rickie Lambert are the only natural central forwards currently in the squad.

Fabio Borini could potentially fill in should anything happen to either of those two, but he would be the second-least popular player at Anfield should Eto'o join the Reds, with his continued refusal to move to Sunderland.

Liverpool need another striker to provide depth, and a veteran option with Champions League experience wouldn't be such a bad idea.

As shared by The Tomkins Times' Andrew Beasley, Eto'o could add to the squad in that department:

The Cameroon striker would be nothing but a back-up option to be used if Sturridge or Lambert get injured or need a rest.

According to the report from Squawka, his play in 2013-14 perhaps wasn't as bad as some may suggest, as he still held a conversion rate of 20.5 percent, indicating he's still a solid finisher.

The point is that Eto'o is no longer capable of being a regular starter for a top club, but he still holds value. As a free transfer, he's an intriguing option for clubs still looking for depth late in the transfer window.

The biggest factor of all may be the fact that he's readily available, and there are few plausible alternatives.

Divock Origi isn't ready and will spend the season out on loan. Loic Remy is no longer an option for the Reds. Someone like Wilfried Bony is a regular starter at his club and would demand a hefty transfer fee and plenty of minutes.

With less than three weeks remaining in the summer transfer window, most of the mid-range players capable of filling the role as quality back-up are off the market. From this point forward, most of the deals are either for world-class talent demanding huge transfer fees or players like Eto'o.

Fans wouldn't like it, he wouldn't be the missing piece leading the club to silverware and he'd likely be gone in 12 months.

But with very few alternatives available on the market, don't be shocked if the Reds decide a one-year rental of the veteran striker is their best option available.

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