Uzbekistan League side Kuruvchi claim to have reached a deal to sign Barcelona forward Samuel Eto'o - though the Catalan giants have laughed off the news.
Eto'o, who has been told he is not part of coach Pep Guardiola's plans, is expected to leave the Nou Camp this summer and has been linked with moves to Serie A and the Premier League.
On Monday morning, though, the Uzbekistan League leaders announced in an official statement on their website that they had landed the 27-year-old forward on a six-month deal.
The news was confirmed by Kuruvchi sporting director Bahtier Babayev, who has said Eto'o will sign with the club later this week on a contract to be determined by performances.
"Eto'o will arrive in Tashkent on Thursday and he will sign a contract with our club, at least up until the end of 2008," Babayev said.
"The term of the contract will depend on our performance in the AFC Champions League. We will play Saipa in the quarter-finals and Eto'o is our main purchase before the knockout stage of the tournament.
"If we can agree with the player, he will continue to play for our club in the future."
Babayev also insisted that the seemingly unlikely transfer had been made possible due to good relations between the Primera Liga side and the Tashkent club.
"The defining moment of the transfer was not money, but the friendly mutual relations between the management of our club and Barcelona," he said.
"The personal friendship between presidents of the clubs has noticeably lowered the transfer fee."
The official club statement which confirmed the transfer read: "(Kuruvchi have) signed a contract with Cameroonian forward Samuel Eto'o from Barcelona.
"The striker will arrive in Tashkent on July 17 and will play in the second half of the championship of Uzbekistan."
However, despite the Uzbekistan club's insistence that the transfer will go ahead, Barcelona denied any knowledge of the move.
An official spokesperson for the Nou Camp side said: "Nobody at the club knows anything about this. I don't think it's very likely."
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Comment 1 - 16 of 16
Let's see... if it's about money, then SAMUEL ETO'O would certainly prefer these clubs as his next destinations:
Al-Sadd (Qatar), Al-Hilal, Al-Ahli (Saudi), Al-Ain (UAE) - Arab clubs who are much richer and have more money and prestige than emm... traditionally the 3rd best club in Uzbekistan. OR...
Urawa Reds, Gamba Osaka (Japan) Suwon Bluewings (S.Korea) or even for PAKHTAKOR, if he wants to consider playing in a prestigious club or, in case of Japan and Korea, playing in a competitive surrounding in Asia with good pay. OR...
Go to the US and play Major League Soccer like Beckham, surely they will want him and pay him a fortune. And since ETO'O himself is quite a 'playa' who loves the night scene and hollywood, this may not be a bad career move! OR...
If SAMUEL ETO'O really, really wants to take it easy (really easy) meaning he doesnt need to work hard but still can get very rich paypacket, he might be better off choosing to play for clubs in oil-rich Brunei (whatever clubs) or for the SAFFC or Home United in Singapore or even for Selangor, Kedah or Perak in little known Malaysian League, just because it's easy there to play and get millions in salary! There's also A-League (Australian) teams like Sydney United (where Dwight Yorke used to play for a while to get some pocket money) or Newcastle Jets, the leagus is quite competitive and they can also pay good money...
So, all of the above are certainly better choices for Samuel Eto'o if he decides to play for money outside of the big five European league i.e. SErie A, EPL, Spain's La Liga, Bundesliga in Germany or in the France Ligue 1. So many other clubs that makes me think that this thing about Samuel Eto'o signing for KURUVCHI was certainly a HOAX!!! Luckily for all, it's an amusingly funny hoax not meant to be taken seriously, just like UZBEKISTAN not to be taken seriously... hahahahahaha....
LOL... hahaha... very funny!
KURUVCHI is not even THE BEST club in UZBEK bcos PAKHTAKOR is the best and have better tradition and is much more well known to the rest of the world. I mean come on, KURUVCHI is only leading the UZBEK league and only in the quarterfinal of the AFC Champions League - in both cases, they have not won anything yet!
And with regards to Alisher Usmanov he only own s 24% of Arsenal and not THE OWNER of Arsenal F.C, whereas others like Russians Abramovich and Gaydamak (Chelsea & Portsmouth) and even a Thai Thaksin Sinawatra actually fully owning EPL clubs, but i dont see many Russians and Thai people boasting and shouting so loud about it.... so my point here is simple. it's OK to dream, and it's OK to be proud of one's own country and have national pride etc. but what is really NOT OK is when you all shout it out loud like you all owns the world! Eto'o may not even sign for KURUVCHI and i hope he doesn't... bcos i think if it's for money, certainly Arab clubs from Saudi and Qatar can offer Eto'o much better deal!
Hahahahaha.... funny...
LOL hey guys, if you don't know where is Uzbekistan you should be ashamed of your knowledge of GEOGRAPHY! , It's simple, open World map, look for Asia, Central Asia (are you following my directions carefully?) in the middle of Central Asia you'll see country UZBEKISTAN. LMAO!!!!!!!! and Kuruvchi is dveloping! Viva Tashkent, Viva Kuruvchi! Just don't be haters dear foreign readers! LOL
Kuruvchi is da best:)
To garyhoxha:
200 goats and 50 chickens?
You must have forgetten that another Uzbek owns 24% of Arsenal. And you are literally blind not to know about Uzbekistan. For you, world is just your country, and the rest of the world, isn't it?
If Eto'o agrees or not, if even it's a fool's day joke, it is still believeable. I know Kuruvchi is capable of anything.
this is the funniest @#$% i've ever read... samuel eto'o moving to uzbekistan??? very unlikely
Av near seen such a deep dive before, But where is Uzbek, in this planet earth?
Uzbekistan's soccer is progressively developing in the world's arena and one step away to reach the World Cup 2010. Uzbeks come on, show what you can and nobody should doubt when the country beats Italy in the Quarter-finals. Our heart is open to everyone and let's give Eto'o the Uzbek nationality and he will be a hero of the nation. He was not born to be a hero in Cameroon, so Uzbeks will help this fellow to shine.
P.S. For those who are not aware of, Alisher Usmanov is an Uzbek Oligarch with 24 percent of Arsenal (London) share :).
publicity stunt to get ppl to know who their little club are.haha good on em,at least they have a sense of humour-a bit like Derby County fans actually!haha
No way in hell is that gonna happen.
That's to tell you how far (or is it low?) Eto'o has sunk!
Ken Nakpodia
Apparently he is going to be playing with Borat's cousin on the same team...
i bet you borat has something to do with this :D wtf??!
Uzbekistan is retarted if they think that a third world piece of @#$% club can sign eto for how much? 200 goats and 50 chickens.
rofl
lmfao!!!!!
Uzbekistan?!?! hahahahahha
Eto would never agree! rofl
lmafao
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