Samuel Eto'o: Why Anzhi Makhachkala's Transfer Is Great for European Soccer

Cameroon international striker Samuel Eto'o has today completed a move to Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala for a reported fee of €25 million.

"Today an agreement was reached between the football clubs, Anzhi and Inter, for the transfer of Samuel Eto'o. The terms of the transfer are completely agreed on both sides," a statement on the Anzhi Makhachkala official website read.

Yet whilst the Russian side may have landed the 2010 African player of the year for a fee only slightly above the one paid by Inter Milan to Barcelona in 2009, the transfer will come at a heavy price.

According to sources, Samuel Eto'o's new contract at Anzhi Makhachkala will see the 30-year-old striker earn an incredible €20.5 million a year after tax for three years.

This figure puts him far above the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as the world's best paid player and more importantly, truly puts the Russian club on the World football map.

With that in mind, here are five reasons why the transfer is a great sign for European soccer.

Forget Real Madrid and Barcelona, Anzhi Makhachkala Strike a Bid for Russia

Much of the summer has been dominated by the transfer dealings of Real Madrid and Barcelona, whilst in England the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea continued to flex their financial muscle.

The signing of Samuel Eto'o represents arguably the biggest transfer story of the summer though, easily eclipsing the other stories surrounding the moves of Fabio Coentrao, Alexis Sanchez and Sergio Aguero.

Anzhi Makhachkala has long pursued marquee signings to put the team on the map and whilst the likes of Yuri Zhirkov and Roberto Carlos may have made headlines in Russia, the signing of Samuel Eto'o outdoes all before him.

It's also a timely reminder of the growing power of the Russia league with Anzhi Makhachkala offering a wage that outstrips even the highest earner at Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Whilst recent years have seen a growing number of footballers understandably drawn to lucrative offers from far away climbs, Samuel Eto'o may have just set a new precedent for top level players moving to Russia. 

Samuel Eto'o to Kick Racism out of Anzhi Makhachkala?

Samuel Eto'o is no stranger to racism. Throughout his distinguished career, the striker has endured racist taunts from opposition fans in Spain and Italy, which seemingly makes a move to Russia, a league known for its racism all the stranger. West Brommich Albion striker Peter Odemwingie for instance, suffered terrible abuse at the hands of his own Lokomotiv Moscow fans.

Yet Eto'o has always believed in fighting against racism in football. During a game against Real Zaragoza in 2006, the Cameroonian attempted to leave the pitch following racism, only to be persuaded to stay by his Barcelona teammates. The act was duly noted though, with Zaragoza duly fined and a clear message sent out.

"We can't wait until some crazy fan jumps from his seat and kills a black player before measures are taken," Eto'o said during a 2008 interview. "The players are revolted by it and we try to help each other. But the authorities must find a way to set an example."

Meanwhile, at Inter Milan, Samuel Eto'o suffered racist abuse during an away game at Cagliari in 2010. This time, Eto'o let his football do the talking, scoring the winning goal.

Anzhi Makhachkala fans can look forward to a mixture of both and though it would be foolish to suggest the 30-year-old can change opinions overnight, the move could make an important stand for black players in Russia.

In that sense, there is no better man to make such a stand than Samuel Eto'o

Anzhi Makhachkala Move to Open Door for CSKA, Zenit and Spartak?

Previously the likes of CSKA Moscow, Zenit St Petersburg and Spartak Moscow have had to search the far reaches of the globe for foreign stars.

Brazilians like Vagner Love and Daniel Carvalho were recruited straight out of the Brazilian league with often mixed results. Vagner Love has even endured some home sickness with regular returns to the Brazilian league in a series of loan spells whilst Carvalho has since departed Russia.

Zenit St Petersburg meanwhile set a Russian transfer record for €30 million with the purchase of Portuguese midfielder Danny who came from Dinamo Moscow via Maritimo, later joined by Italian cult hero Alessandro Rosina.

With each of these Russian clubs enjoying an impressive level of wealth, the money has always been there to bid for top calibre players, the only problem was that few were interested in a move to Russia with its notoriously cold winters.

However, the arrival of two time Champions League winner Samuel Eto'o could change that. At 30, the Cameroonian is reaching the peak point of his career as a striker, making the move to Russia all the more remarkable.

With the striker set to change perceptions of the Russian league, more top level players could soon follow.

Anzhi Makhachkala Set to Challenge the Moscow Dominance?

Since the formation of the Russian Premier League in 1992, it is fair to say that the clubs of the Russian capital, Moscow, have dominated proceedings.

Spartak Moscow has nine titles to their name with CSKA taking three and Lokomotiv Moscow a further two.

Zenit St Peterburg may have enjoyed two league titles but similar challengers like Rubin Kazan, who won back to back titles in 2008 and 2009, but the club's lack of comparable resources saw the squad taken apart by big clubs with big money advances.

Anzhi Makhachkala is unlikely to suffer the same fate given the resources of billionaire owner Suleyman Kerimov. Exciting new signings like Balázs Dzsudzsák, Yuri Zhirkov and Diego Tardeli are therefore likely to stay with the club, with Moscow offering little in comparison and particularly with Samuel Eto'o leading the line.

Given time, these players could gel into a team more than fit to challenge the Moscow clubs and Zenit St Petersburg for major honors which could even go beyond the Russian Premier League title.

Samuel Eto'o to Lead Anzhi Makhachkala to Champions League Recognition?

No Russian team has ever progressed past the quarterfinal stage of the UEFA Champions League, with CSKA Moscow last reaching the last eight in the 2009-10 season.

However, with Samuel Eto'o bringing a wealth of experience as a two time winner of the tournament with Barcelona, this could change.

After all, Eto'o also has a knack for scoring goals on the biggest stage with a goal in both of his Champions League final appearances.

This season, Anzhi Makhachkala is not in Europe, meaning their Samuel Eto'o led side will be left to focused solely on the Russian Premier League title.

Should everything go according to plan, Samuel Eto'o could lead the side out in the Champions League for the 2012/13 season.

Could Eto'o make it a hat trick of UEFA Champions league winners medals? With Anzhi Makhachkala's resources and the team already boasting a wealth of stars, it's certainly not an impossibility.

After all, who could have predicted Manchester City being in the competition five years ago?