Goal.com Worldview: Ibrahimovic-Eto’o Swap – Good Or Bad Move?    

Aswap deal could be on the cards involving Inter’s Zlatan Ibrahimovicand Barcelona’s Samuel Eto’o. Goal.com’s International, Italian andSpanish editions have their say on this incredible exchange…       

5 Jun 2009 15:00:10
                    
Related Links                                
Teams               

• Barcelona
• Inter Milan

                                               
Players               

• Eto'o
• Zlatan Ibrahimovic

                                                   
Last night the news broke that Inter president Massimo Moratti was inCatalonia to meet Barcelona counterpart Juan Laporta, leading to amedia frenzy that the pair were in negotiations to swap ZlatanIbrahimovic for Samuel Eto’o.

Ibrahimovicis well known to be keen on trying out a new experience after fiveyears in Italy, while the future of Eto’o in Catalonia is also verymuch in doubt.

A selection of editors from Goal.com International, Goal.com Italia and Goal.com Spain have come together to offer their views on some of the key issues regarding this possible transfer.

Samuel ETO'O FC Barcelona / Cameroon	Zlatan IBRAHIMOVIC Internazionale / Sweden
Age: 28	27: Age
League goals 2008-09: 30	25: League goals 2008-09
League minutes per goal: 99.5	130.8: League minutes per goal
Contract until: June 2010	2013: Contract until

1) Do you think Zlatan Ibrahimovic will join Barcelona? Do you think Samuel Eto'o will go the other way to Inter?

Ewan Macdonald (Goal.com International): Thegreatest possibility is a part-exchange deal with both moving; followedby Eto'o moving alone; followed by Ibra moving alone. In any case Idon't see the part-exchange as more than 50 per cent likely.

Sulmaan Ahmad (Goal.com International):It's extremely difficult to say who will be going where. An exchangewould be huge but not impossible. I would say just one of them goingeither way is more likely, with Eto'o being more likely to move thanIbrahimovic.

Carlo Garganese (Goal.com International): Itseems clear to me that Ibrahimovic has made up his mind to leave Inter,and La Liga is the obvious destination. As for Eto'o, it is also veryprobable he will depart Barcelona, but if the interest of ManchesterCity is true, then the only way he can join Inter is if it is in anexchange deal with Ibrahimovic. If the Swede moves on his own first,then, unless there is an agreement with the two clubs, Man City willsimply outbid Inter for Eto'o.

Sergio Stanco (Goal.com Italia):Ibra will do everything in order to leave Inter. He doesn't care if itwill be Barcelona, Real Madrid, Man Utd or Chelsea, he just wants toleave. Why? Because the Italian Championship is not good enough forhim. It was the same situation with Diego at Werder Bremen. ConcerningEto'o, I think he'll leave as well, but I do not know if Inter is adestination he likes. It doesn't seem like that.

Daniele Perticari (Goal.com Italia):Ibra to Barcelona, not Eto'o to Inter. Mourinho wants Didier Drogba ashis striker and after this Inter will be desperate to bring in adefender. Ibra will leave, there are too many rumours, and Ibra seemsto have made up his mind. Moratti let Ronaldo and Vieri leave in thepast, so he will have no problem in selling a noisy player like Ibra.

Ivar Matusevic (Goal.com Spain): Ibra will join Barcelona. Eto'o is more likely to join Manchester City.

Juan Lirman (Goal.com Spain): Ibrahimovicis not the type of player Pep Guardiola needs for Barcelona, not onlyfor his team but for his project. Zlatan is a very weird guy, with avery strange mood, and I don't believe he could fit right now in thebest locker room in the world. And it's always difficult to set amega-operation like this with Eto'o going the other way. I don'tremember a double-switch like this in recent years.

2) Will Ibrahimovic be a success at Barcelona? Will Eto'o be a success at Inter?

Ewan Macdonald:Ibra would be a big success at Barca because he would have a wealth ofassists at his disposal against less obstinate defences than in Italy,meanwhile Eto'o will need to rediscover his old accuracy to flourish atInter.

Sulmaan Ahmad: At Barcelona, Ibra would be hugelypopular and entertaining. His skill would definitely get the crowd onhis side and presumably, he would score many, many goals being suppliedby all of Barcelona's creative players. In such a great team, it's hardto imagine him not performing in the big games. What could hold himback is his lack of defensive work, pressing defenders. This has beenGuardiola’s main addition to the Blaugrana, so this makes his apparentinterest in Ibra a surprise.

Eto'o at Inter could be tricky.He wouldn't get nearly as many chances as he does in Spain and he isnot very reliable in front of goal. He has the pace to certainly getbeyond any defence in Italy with ease - and he would be lethal on thebreak - but it's unlikely he'd be able to replace Ibra.

Carlo Garganese:A 4-3-3 formation does not suit Ibrahimovic's characteristics, he ismuch better in a two-man attack playing as the support striker. Thefact that Barcelona play pass-and-move team-football could also be anissue for such an individual. Having said this, given the incredibletalent Barca have at their disposal, with Messi, Henry/Iniesta playingto the side of him, it is impossible to think that Ibrahimovic wouldnot be a success.

Eto'o is a tricky one. He is a world classforward, but he relies more on his team-mates than Ibrahimovic. Interhave virtually no creativity in midfield, so unless Mourinho buys atleast one ball-player in the summer, there is a chance Eto'o could havesome difficulties. Furthermore, he is not a clinical striker, he scoresone in every two-or-three chances, and in Italy he will have far feweropportunities than in Spain.

Sergio Stanco: Yes, they are two great players in two great teams. I can't see any problems for either in settling in.

Daniele Perticari: Ibrais not as good as Henry, Messi and Eto'o. Furthermore, he has to be thefirst one on the team-sheet, the top player, the master. At Barça hewill have to be quiet because there are players who won twice what hehas at Inter. Eto'o can be a great deal for Inter and Italian football.

Ivar Matusevic:Ibra is world class, but has a difficult personality. Guardiola is agreat coach and I trust him to manage the Swede. Eto’o will succeedwherever he plays.

Juan Lirman: Ibrahimovic is a veryindividualistic player and this might be good for the Inter squad, whowere playing completely for him. Barcelona plays a different style,more like the [color=#464d1 ! important][color=#464d1 ! important]Netherlandspass-and-move system, with everyone involved, running, switchingplaces, etc. I don't see Ibra fitting in here. Eto'o can really succeedin Calcio. He's capable of playing anywhere.

3)Will this swap deal be better for Barcelona or Inter? Will Barcelona bebetter with Ibrahimovic instead of Eto'o? Will Inter be better withEto'o instead of Ibrahimovic?

Ewan Macdonald: It'sa better deal for Barcelona - Ibra is still reaching his prime, whileEto'o may have seen his best days. Of course, the clubs know this, soBarcelona will need to pay handsomely as well. Inter, though, willstill have a world-class striker in Eto'o, and also some cash to buildup other positions, so it's not too disastrous from their perspective.

Sulmaan Ahmad:An exchange, if it were to happen, would probably be a better deal forBarcelona. It's close, but they would get a player who works a littleless and isn't quite as fast, but has a lot more skill and can stillscore a similar number of goals. Meanwhile, Inter would be getting aplayer a lot faster and who might even scare more opposition defenders,but one who may not be sharp enough in front of goal.

Carlo Garganese:This is a deal where neither side really wins. Inter are desperatelyshort of match-winners, and Ibrahimovic has won so many games for themsingle-handedly in Serie A over the past three years. Eto'o will not dothis, so unless, with the extra money they receive, they strengthensmartly in all departments, particularly midfield creativity, they willmiss Ibra badly. Barcelona are simply replacing one great attacker withanother.

Sergio Stanco: Ibra may do better than Eto'o as he would arrive in a consolidated team, while Inter are still looking to build their line-up.

Daniele Perticari:Eto'o to Inter, for sure. Barça’s forward is already the best in theworld, Ibrahimovic is not. Inter need a player who is ready to make abig explosion, and Eto’o is this man. Ibrahimovic complains too muchand sparks market rumours.

Juan Lirman: Neither team canwin with a swap like this. Inter might try to keep Ibra and tell himthat he has a new team-mate called Diego Milito, who can help him andthe team improve. Barcelona shouldn't sell Eto'o...unless Laporta andGuardiola plans a big signing instead of the Cameroonian. I personallybelieve that signing will be Karim Benzema.

4) Will Eto'o give Inter a better or worse chance of winning the Champions League?

Ewan Macdonald: Worse, far worse. No Italian side will win the CL in the next three seasons at least, as Calcio is on the downswing.

Sulmaan Ahmad:Inter's chances of winning the Champions League would barely change.Yes, Eto'o has scored in two finals, but it's not that simple. It'shard to say whether he would really make a difference in Europe, thoughin Eto'o, they would at least have someone who is good at being in theright place at the right time in the big games, yes. So a slightimprovement, but not a significant one.

Carlo Garganese: Interwill only win the Champions League if they sign a couple of top-classtechnical midfielders who can create, dribble and take the game to theopposition. Thus, signing Eto'o will make little difference unless aFranck Ribery or David Silva-type player arrives also.

Sergio Stanco: Itdoesn't change anything. Perhaps with Eto'o, Inter are worse than withIbra. The Swede won some matches alone for Inter, whereas Eto'o is adifferent player, he needs the team to supply him. Inter need to solvesome their midfield problems.

Daniele Perticari: Better, for sure. What did Ibra do this season in the Champions League?

Ivar Matusevic:Inter need more talent in midfield. If they have some creative playersto assist Milito and Eto’o, both will score a lot of goals.

Juan Lirman:Yes he can. He's a very experienced player, he has won two ChampionsLeagues with Barcelona and he scored in two finals. He is a winner.

5) Will Ibrahimovic finally win the Ballon d'Or at Barcelona?

Ewan Macdonald: Onyears that a Barcelona player is liable to win the Ballon d'Or it'susually their providers/scorers rather than simply goalscorers -witness Messi, Iniesta and Xavi's plaudits this year compared to Eto'o,or even Henry. He has a better chance at Barcelona than at Inter, forsure, because of Barcelona's capabilities in continental football.

Sulmaan Ahmad:Yes, hypothetically, Ibra could win the Ballon d'Or at Barcelona. Hewould certainly stand a better chance there than at Inter. He would bein a better team, as a result play better himself and probably standmore of a chance of winning the big trophies. That's not to say he willwin it, but it would be more likely.

Carlo Garganese: Hecertainly has a better chance of winning the Ballon d'Or at Barcelonathan at Inter. Having said that, 2010 is a World Cup year, so thevictor that year will almost definitely go to a World Cup champion,which won't be the Swede. In 2011, Ibra turns 30, so it becomes moredifficult from then on.

Sergio Stanco: Yes, it willhappen and I think Ibrahimovic will do everything to ensure it does,even if I can't understand why it's so important to him.

Daniele Perticari: Ibrais only the eighth, maybe ninth best player in Europe. Kakà is better,Messi, Ronaldo, Henry, Iniesta, Rooney, Cesc, Drogba, even a fit RVN issuperior. If Guardiola can improve his attitude, perhaps, but I'mcurious. Ibrahimovic needs to change a lot from Italy if he is tochallenge.

Ivar Matusevic: Of course he can, it all depends on his attitude and the spirit of the Barca group.

Juan Lirman: I don’t think so. He can never finish above Lionel Messi.

Whatare your views on some of the topics above? Is the reportedIbrahimovic-Eto'o swap a good move for the clubs and players involved?Goal.com wants to know what you think...

[ 本帖最后由 烏鴉 于 2009-6-6 08:13 编辑 ]

[ 本帖最后由 烏鴉 于 2009-6-6 08:12 编辑 ]