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28 March 2024

Latest Chelsea transfer news: No Rooney as Eto'o joins Blues on one-year deal

Samuel Eto'o of FC Anzhi Makhachkala gestures during the Russian Football League Championship match against FC Zenit St. Petersburg at the Petrovsky Stadium on November 18, 2011 in St. Petersburg, Russia. (GETTY)

Published
By AFP

Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o has joined Chelsea on a one-year contract, the Premier League giants announced on Thursday.

The 32-year-old arrives from Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala on a free transfer, in a move that may signal the end of Chelsea's pursuit of Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney.

Chelsea have had two bids for Rooney rejected and manager Jose Mourinho recently admitted that he had a "Plan B" in case their pursuit of the England international did not come off.

"I am very happy to be here, but also anxious because I want to get playing as soon as possible," Eto'o told the Chelsea website, www.chelseafc.com.

"It wasn't a hard decision. I saw the qualities Chelsea have, and I was very happy with Jose
Mourinho before, so when the opportunity came, I was very happy to take it."

Eto'o previously worked under Mourinho at Inter Milan and was a member of the team that claimed an unprecedented treble of Serie A, Coppa Italia and Champions League titles in 2010.

The move also reunites him with former Anzhi team-mate Willian, who completed a switch to Chelsea in a deal reportedly worth £30 million ($47 million, 35 million euros) on Wednesday.

Willian and Eto'o are among a number of players to have been moved on by Anzhi after the Russian side's billionaire owner Suleiman Kerimov decided to restructure the club and drastically shrink their budget.