BARCA PUT TRIO ON TRANSFER LIST
Wednesday, June 18th, 2008 by Stuart Stratford
Pep Guardiola signalled the start of his Barcelona revolution by informing the world that his illustrious trio of Deco, Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto’o are all up for grabs. widely believed to be the most troublesome inmates at Camp Nou, the internationals are seeking pastures new following Guardiola’s Press Conference yesterday where the Coach said,
All of the players in the first team squad last season are of a very high level but we are forming a squad and Deco, Ronaldinho and Eto’o are not in our minds.
Each of the trio has been linked with new homes this summer already. Cameroonian international Eto’o was initially interested by Tottenham Hotspur’s overtures but stated his desire to continue playing at the highest level. A move to a major Premier League club seems unlikely unless Cristiano Ronaldo moves to Real Madrid or Didier Drogba leaves Chelsea. Even then, other players are reportedly ahead of Eto’o in the wanted list of Ferguson and Scolari. AC Milan have been negotiating with him but were seen to be backing off as Adriano Galliano, Milan’s vice-president, stated recently that Eto’o was the most expensive option of their striking requirements.
Deco meanwhile has been publicly telling everyone that Chelsea have been in touch with him. Whether his national team coach remains as big a fan as the player thinks remains to be seen. For Ronaldinho, the options are more limited and the fall from grace startling. His relationship with the Barcelona power-brokers has become more publicly fractious over the past two seasons as their concerns about his fitness - physically and mentally - were leaked to the press, culminating in yesterday’s announcement.
In itself, it is not a surprise that Guardiola has permitted the Brazilian to leave. The destinations being mooted are. For all of Thaksin Shinawatra’s reported investment in Manchester City, it is a club who would not have even been entertained by his agent twelve months ago. Salary figures of £200k per week might turn players heads but there is little evidence that City are likely to challenge for honours or even qualify for the Champions League. It has been suggested that Ronaldinho might follow David Beckham’s path to America and the MSL seems a plausible destination, a chance of the player to be an exceptionally big fish in a small pond. The benefits of the USA are plain to see; it will raise his public profile to a higher level and keep him in the public eye. His fondness for a party might well be tolerated more in a country more at ease with celebrity than others around the globe.
Whatever the case, to go from FIFA’s World Player of the Year to footballing mercenary, unwanted on the biggest stage is a sharp decline indeed.
Tags: AC Milan, CF Barcelona, Chelsea, Deco, Football, Manchester City, MSL, Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto'o, Soccer, Transfer Gossip
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