Samuel Eto’o and his representatives have been locked in talks with the Inter hierarchy since last night, but president Massimo Moratti has said that nothing has been agreed yet.
“We are still a little way off [from an agreement], but this is normal,” he told Italian media agency Ansa. “We found an agreement very quickly with his club. Now we are speaking with all concerned and everyone is trying their best for themselves,” he mused.
These quotes come after Moratti told El Mundo Deportivo that Eto’o would accept Inter’s offer, but no contract has yet been agreed on.
The sticking point is Eto’o’s wages, as Inter offered the player €9m per season. Eto’o is thought to be demanding around €12m, closer to Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s reported wages, but may lower his demands over the course of the negotiations.
While the former Mallorca striker may be persuaded to accept a lower wage, Inter may be able to increase their offer if they can move some of their fringe players off the wage bill.
The likes of Nicolas Burdisso, Amantino Mancini and Nelson Rivas are all expected to leave and any agreement for their departure would allow for a little more financial manoeuvring during the Eto’o negotiations.