10 Players You Probably Didn't Know Man City Almost Signed
5. Samuel Eto'o
Judging by last seasons tepid showings for Chelsea, one would have baulked when reminded of the stacks of cash negotiated with regards to the players recent transfers, not least when Man City offered to make him the leagues best paid player. In the dark days of 2009, before Wayne Rooneys bumper contracts and the transfers of Carlos Tevez and Yaya Toure, the offered £180,000 p/wk deal would have put Etoo out in front of every single Premier League footballer. Of course, by todays standards, it looks like relative pittance, but five years ago, Barcelona president Joan Laporta described it as monstrous.
Tabling a £25.5 million bid for the lethal hitman, who had just struck the opening goal in the Champions League final against Manchester United, City were desperate to replace a certain Brazilian who was rapidly losing interest in the club.
With Etoo still holding out for a future at the Catalan giants, the club hierarchy had other plans, keen to accept the stratospheric bid from this ludicrously ambitious club. However, attempting to acquire one of the hottest marksmen in world football, whilst still in his prime, looked to be a case of City trying to run before they could walk. Parading two-time European Cup winner Samuel Etoo alongside fellow signings Roque Santa Cruz, Gareth Barry and Joleon Lescott would have looked a little silly.
Without Champions League football, it was still a little early in the timeline of the project to be attracting the true superstars, and it was no surprise when Etoo added his name to the list of global icons who declined the option to accept a job offer from the club.
As we now know, Etoo has always had a weakness for hefty pay cheques, with his move to the Russian suburbs in 2011 hardly classed as a football decision, so it did ultimately have to take a top side to show an interest in him to prevent him from signing on the dotted line at Eastlands.
''Before going to Italy, I was almost signed to another club in England. Everything was sorted but then, I received a call from Massimo Moratti and several minutes after, one from Jose Mourinho. I do not regret that decision. I was brave because I broke my word. I had to tell the English team and it was really tough, but they understood it. Samuel Etoo, 2011.