Liverpool's Manager, Rafa Benitez may have quietly backed down on a move to sign highly rated Barcelona star, Samuel Eto'o.



Strong indications, suggest that Liverpool have dropped out of the race to obtain Barcelona's Samuel Eto'o after deciding the strike ace is beyond their reach. For weeks, Liverpool have been at the forefront of the Eto'o bid and tabled a cash offer for the forward who has been highly sought after in Europe. The offer received no tangible response from Barcelona.


News of this cash offer echoed across Europe and attracted Italian giants, AC Milan, who are also interested in the Barca marksman. This made Milan swing into action in response to the English move, digging in through their official, Galliani in the famed Mission Impossible adventure. Barcelona classified Galliani's bid method as a distraction.


Liverpool have been more visible than other Premiership teams in their attempts to win over the Cameroonian from Cam Nou. Other Premiership clubs intrested in Eto'o are Manchester United and Arsenal. AC Milan and InterMilan are representing interests from the Italian angle.


Liverpool's decision to back down may be influenced by the mindset which is gaining ground at Camp Nou to tighten its hold on players it considers pre-requisites to its success next season, and attempts are being made to solidfy the squad especially after the shocking result in the weekend La Liga encounter with Espanyol lent more concrete on the need to have a more secure team.


A big and unlikely IF hangs on the possibilty of Barcelona even agreeing in the first place to sell their attacking gem.


Other than Barca's organisational drive, Liverpool's exit may also be attributed to cashflow. The lords at Anfield may be too constrained to disburse Eto'o's real worth, which is no doubt ranging upwards from the 50 Million Euro mark.


As proof of this, Liverpool have considered signing Villareal's former Man U player, Diego Forlan as an alternative to Eto'o.

Abidal attempts to become master of his own affairs as second try to secure La Liga transfer is in the offing.

In the premiership, Newcastle move in to snatch Barca's Giuly from Marseille's grasp.



French defender, Eric Abidal has decided to play a more prominent role in determining his own destiny as the strong defender has set up a successful meeting with his club officials at Lyon.


Speaking on the outcome of the meeting, the Head of Communications at Lyon, Olivier Blanc, expressed less hostility at his earlier stance against Barcelona's offer. Blanc said:

The meeting with Eric went smoothly. We earlier said no to Barcelona because their offer was not in good taste to us. They need to review their offer and return so we can commence talks again.

A possible compromise using the good old method of reaching the half way mark may be adopted in the bid, so that Barcelona step up their offer to around 14 million Euros from their last bid of 9 million Euros while Lyon step down to 14 million Euros or thereabout from their price of 20 Million Euros.
Fair enough.


Giuly Courted By Newcastle


Meanwhile, Barcelona's creative midfielder, Ludovic Giuly has reportedly received an offer from Newcastle to where the black and white stripes of the Premiership side next season.


Giuly's commercial representative, Sebastien Riera, while speaking to Sunday Sun, revealed the interest of Newcastle in the former Monaco ace. Riera said:

Ludo is aware of Newcastle's interest.

Though Newcastle are looking at alternatives such as Bolton's El-Hadji Diouf, Barca's Giuly is their priority.

Despite the raging storm surrounding Galliani's manner of approach to get Sammy Eto'o dorn the red and black stripes next year, the Italians are relentless in their pursuit.


AC Milan have restated their commitment to signing Barcelona's Samuel Eto'o.
Milan believe that perhaps with a little more caution in approaching the transfer issue, their chances of success will be enhanced. In a new statement, the Serie A club sought to clarify recent events. The statement read:

Eto'o is a Barcelona player. Milan will make an official approach to Barcelona when the Spanish league finishes but without the certainty that the great striker will eventually arrive at Milan as the Catlania club rightly have the final decision on whether to sell or not.

This effort is to give their earlier bid a less combatant image after the UEFA Champions declared Eto'o a must have and a priority for them next season.


Eto'o says he remians committed to Barcelona.

Andres Iniesta's rating soars as Barcelona seek to keep him, even as Yaya Toure is still hot on the transfer list in Barcelona and Europe.



Barcelona's Midfield gem, Andres Iniesta is set to receive a lucrative offer from Barca in order to extend his stay at Camp Nou by two extra years and ensure he continues to register his five star performances with the Catalans after his current contract expires in three years time.


The offer is expected to gaurantee Iniesta's stay at Barca till at least 2012.

This became necessary when mounting pressure for Iniesta became evident, as many clubs across Europe became aware of the 23-year old's exquisite skills and influential role in the midfield.


As notices to Iniesta's unavailablity in the transfer market may not be heard loud enough, a contract extension may be one of the best ways to keep him in Camp Nou. Barcelona sport director Txiki Beguiristain, has repeatedly explained why Iniesta will not be allowed to leave, as the midfielder is still in Barca's plans for the future.


At the end of this season, Barcelona are expected to open negotiations with Iniesta's representative.



Yaya Toure Very Interested In Defensive Midfield Role At Barcelona


In other related developments, Olympiakos strongman, Yaya Toure has continued to express happiness with being associated with Barcelona, preferring to join the Spanish giants despite approaches from Serie A and Premiership clubs like Inter Milan, Roma, Lyon, Everton and Arsenal, the club of his elder Brother, Kolo Toure.


Yaya Toure is valued at around 15 Million Euros and seems to fit into what Barcelona want in their defensive midfield area, where a strong force will be needed to back the creativity and thrusts of their dynamic midfield.

Camp Nou has gone up in flames in response to the open declaration by AC Milan's Galliani to sign Eto'o without any reservation.



Barcelona officials are not only upset with the hawk-like manner in which Milan have approached the Eto'o issue, but are particularly turned -off with the timing of the move as they feel it was insensitive to their focus and title aspirations in the final two stages of the Spanish League.

Barca are in a deep moment of concentration and focus ahead of their final two matches in the La Liga and the latest avalanche of attention caused by The Galliani Mission Impossible is not taken in good faith.


Defending their actions, AC Milan issued a statement explaining that Galliani's statements were wrongly interpretted by the press. They said:

We are astonished to know that statements which have been attributed to Galliani by some dailies are not what he meant, but was wrongly understood and misintepreted.

Barcelona are neither favourably disposed toward letting Eto'o go, nor willing to encourage anything which will turn their attention away from the important games that will determine who wins the Spanish League between them and arch-rivals Real Madrid and third placed Sevilla.


Eto'o has also sparked interest in Premiership clubs notably Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal.