Report: Liverpool offer Ex-Chelsea striker Eto'o one-year contract
Liverpool has reportedly made former Chelsea striker Samuel Eto'o a contract offer as it looks to bring the player to Anfield.
Liverpool, which is on the verge of signing Mario Balotelli from AC Milan, is also ready to push through a deal for Eto'o as Brendan Rodgers looks to bolster his attacking options before the close of the transfer window.
Eto'o is a free agent after leaving Chelsea earlier this summer and has attracted the interest of a number of clubs in Europe, North America and the Middle East. It is understood the Cameroon international's preference is to remain in England and the Premier League after enjoying his one season at Chelsea last term.
Ajax and Everton have both expressed an interest in Eto'o, but it appears Liverpool is now in pole position to land the former Barcelona and Inter star. Liverpool has offered Eto'o a one-year deal on €93,000 a week, with performance-related bonuses and the option of another year if he impresses at Anfield. Should Eto'o and Balotelli join Liverpool it would see the two strikers link up for a second time after they played together at Inter.
Rodgers has made no secret of his wish to bring in a new forward following Luis Suarez's summer departure, but any chance of Balotelli coming appeared dead in the water earlier this summer.
Speaking on Liverpool's tour of the United States, Rodgers said: "I can categorically tell you Mario Balotelli will not be at Liverpool."
Rodgers was instead targeting Monaco's Radamel Falcao, but the Colombia striker's preference is a move to Real Madrid. Balotelli's three seasons at City were blighted by trouble, on and off the field, although he did manage 30 goals for the club in all competitions.
Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher has questioned whether Balotelli would be an automatic starter at Anfield.
"They definitely need a striker, there's no doubt about that," he told Sky Sports. "At the moment they only have Daniel Sturridge and Rickie Lambert - it looks like Fabio Borini is going to move on - and you need strikers. Would he be the final piece of the jigsaw? Would he make the starting XI if everyone was fit and firing? Who knows?
Carragher added: "At the moment Daniel Sturridge has got 36 goals in 50 games for Liverpool and at this moment he is the main man up front. Would Brendan then accommodate another striker, whoever that may be, like he did with Luis Suarez? He has lots of options now, Brendan Rodgers, and I don't think he will play the same team too often so they do need those options."
FOXSoccer.com's newswire services contributed to this report.
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