Barcelona striker Samuel Eto’o has moved to quell speculation about his future by declaring he wants to sign a new deal to keep him at the Camp Nou.
The 28-year-old, who has scored 27 goals in 31 league games this season, will be out of contract in just over a year and a number of Premier League clubs have expressed an interest in signing the striker.
Barca president Joan Laporta met with City chief executive Garry Cook in London earlier in the week, but both clubs denied they were discussing a possible deal for Eto’o
“My future is with Barca. If I wasn’t happy where, I would already have told [Joan Laporta],” Eto’o told Spanish television programme Hora Q.
“If it was up to him, we would already have sat down to discuss the issue, but because of what’s at stake for us and out of respect for my colleagues, now is not the time to talk about wages or whether I will stay on for another five or six years.
“When the season finishes and everything goes well, Pep [Guardiola] will tell me that he’s happy with me and to go talk to [Laporta].”
The future of the Cameroon international has been in doubt since he was deemed surplus to requirements last summer and the club attempted to offload him.
Since then the striker has flourished under new manager Pep Guardiola and now forms part of European football’s most prolific strikeforce alongside Thierry Henry and Lionel Messi.
Turning his attention to Saturday’s “El Clasico” with Real Madrid, who trail Liga leaders Barcelona by four points, Eto’o insisted all the pressure is on their rivals.
“We go to the Bernabeu with a four-point margin but they are convinced that we will leave with just a one-point advantage. But I wouldn’t write us off,” Eto’o said. “I think we look good for a 1-0 win and that will be enough.”
“For us, the league is not determined at the Bernabeu, but for Madrid, this is their last chance to try and overtake us at the top. If we win, it will be a huge blow to them. We still have two other games at home and with the help of our fans, it’s difficult to lose.”
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