PSG's 'next Kylian Mbappe' could turn his back on France thanks to Samuel Eto'o
French champions PSG already have their long-term replacement for Kylian Mbappe lined up but the young star is the subject of a tug-of-war at international level
PSG forward Hugo Etike is set to turn his back on his native country thanks to the influence of Samuel Eto'o.
The 21-year-old spent last season on loan with the Parisian giants, winning the Ligue 1 title. He impressed enough to secure a £30million switch from Reims in the summer, and was immediately billed as a long-term replacement for Kylian Mbappe if he makes his expected move to Real Madrid.
Etike has been capped six times by France at Under-20 level, but is also eligible to play for Cameroon via his mother. And that notion has not been lost on Eto, now President of the Cameroonian Football Federation.
According to Get Football News France, the former Barcelona and Chelsea star has arranged a meeting with the striker with a view to persuading him to play for the Indomitable Lions. And he has a carrot at his disposal, with Cameroon having qualified for the AFCON tournament in 2024.
Despite his billing, Etike has played just eight minutes for PSG in the 2023/24 season. Shortly after his arrival, the club tried to use him to entice Randal Kolo Muani to move from Eintracht Frankfurt, a proposal Etike allegedly refused.
Kolo Muani did eventually sign in an £83million deal. But Etike was blamed by fans for the seemingly extortionate fee, which would have been considerably less had he agreed to go the other way.
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His lack of action under Luis Enrique has inevitably meant no call-up from France during the Euro 2024 qualifiers. Under-21 manager Thierry Henry has reportedly held talks with the youngster, but that hasn't deterred Eto from seeking his services.
And the 42-year-old has the pedigree to boast powers of persuasion. He scored a record-breaking 56 goals for his country, winning the AFCON with them in both 2000 and 2002.
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He also starred for both Barcelona and Inter Milan, winning two Champions League titles with the former and one with the latter. The striker also bagged the African Player of the Year award four times in 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2010.
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