Real Madrid coach wants to sign Eto´o

Real Madrid's German coach Bern Schuster wants to sign Cameroonian international striker Samuel Eto'o from Barcelona, sports daily Mundo Deportivo reported Wednesday.

The 27-year-old has been deemed surplus to requirements by Barcelona's new coach Pep Guardiola and was reportedly given the green light over the weekend by the Catalan club's managers to negotiate his transfer with other teams.

Mundo Deportivo said in a front-page report that Schuster and several other managers at Real Madrid feel Eto'o would be the ideal signing because of his “enormous” talent.

But the Barcelona-based daily said Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon is concerned that fans would not welcome the move because Eto'o was caught on tape chanting an offensive tirade directed at the club when Barcelona won the Spanish league three years ago.

Calderon is also worried that Eto's will cause “an earthquake” in the dressing room given his reputation for conflict, the newspaper added.

Eto'o, a three-times African Player of the Year, started his professional career with Real Madrid as a minor in 1997, and trained with the B team.

He was quoted earlier this week by an Italian newspaper as saying he had offers from Chelsea, Tottenham and Inter Milan.