Eto'o 'to join Russians'

"Eto’o is leaving," Internazionale CEO Ernesto Paolillo was reported to have said in a text message to Bloomberg journalist Tariq Panja, who has a close relationship with the Italian club.

"He is going to the Russian club."

According to Eurosport's Moscow office, Cameroon striker Eto’o - widely regarded as one of the world’s top goal-scorers - will be the highest-paid player in football if he pens a reported 17 million euros a year contract, the equivalent of £300,000 a week, with the addition of a generous tax allowance.

Some reports have pinned his salary at an incredible 21 million euros a year, meaning he would take home almost double what the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo earn.

Eto'o scored 34 goals last season and fired Inter to a European and domestic treble the previous season, having done the same the campaign before with Barcelona.

Panja also claimed that Paolillo said there would be "no chance" of Inter signing Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez as a replacement, and that Manchester United target Wesley Sneijder would be staying, although those comments should be taken with a pinch of salt as club president Massimo Moratti and Sneijder himself have both hinted otherwise.

Inter need the money, having announced a 69 million euro loss in 2010; Eto’o, meanwhile, is also clearly attracted by the incredible pay-packet on offer at the newly-rich Dagestan-based club, who were bought out by billionaire oligarch Suleyman Kerimov earlier this year.

Brazil legend Roberto Carlos already plays for the Russian club, who lie fifth in the Premier League.