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Eto'o reveals Arsenal snub back in 2000

14 September 2013 - 16:33

Chelsea striker Samuel Eto'o has revealed that he turned down an offer from Arsenal back in 2000 before he ended up joining Real Mallorca.

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The Cameroon international heaped praise on the former Mallorca boss Luis Aragones for having made him the footballer that he is today. He insisted that a move to Arsenal might have proved detrimental to his career and he has no regrets having turned them down.<br />

"I met Luis at a crucial moment in my life where I had to take the right direction - and thanks to him I did," Eto'o told The Sun.<br />

"I was about to sign that very afternoon at Arsenal and maybe I would have never been the player I am today.<br />

"Luis picked me, then I ended up joining Barcelona. That decision changed everything."<br />

The former Barcelona forward ,who sealed a summer switch to Chelsea following a fire sale at Anzhi Makhachkala, is likely to make his debut in Saturday against Everton and expressed his excitement to reunite with Jose Mourinho.<br />

Eto'o told Sky Sports News: "After all that's happened in Russia over the last couple of months, I had a few proposals from European clubs - but none of them had Jose Mourinho.<br />

"It was an opportunity for me to team up with him again, and have the opportunity to continue working with him like I did at Inter Milan. And that is the reason I am here."

Written by Prateek Sarkar