Manchester City have officially ended their pursuit of Barcelona striker Samuel Eto’o.

The club confirmed they had given up hope of signing the Cameroon international on their website.

Chief executive Garry Cook said: “Samuel Eto’o is undoubtedly a fine footballer but the circumstances surrounding him were such that the deal could not be completed.

“We now feel the time is right to pursue other avenues and we have a clear and strategic transfer plan, which we continue to follow.”

It seemed the striker was bound for Eastlands a fortnight ago, when Barcelona accepted a bid for the star, who scored in last season’s Champions League final triumph against Manchester United.

However, the deal quickly became mired in a contractual dispute between Eto’o and the Catalan outfit.

The player, who is about to embark on the last year of his contract at the Nou Camp, felt he should receive a significant portion of the £18million City were willing to pay as he would be entitled to leave for nothing next summer.

Blues boss Mark Hughes initially signalled his intention to wait for Eto’o to resolve the wrangle.

Yet, as the week has dragged on, the argument just got more confusing and complicated.

It was suggested City were ready to offer Eto’o a deadline of this weekend to determine his future.

In the end, chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak did not even give the 28-year-old that long, with Barcelona officially contacted on Friday with confirmation the deal was off.

While it could be viewed the latest development is merely posturing on City’s part, privately the club are adamant the transfer is now highly unlikely to go ahead.

To an extent, they understand Eto’o’s demands. However, they also feel a contract said to be worth around £200,000 a week was alone enough to keep Eto’o happy and are unwilling to let the situation drag on any longer.

After returning from a pre-season training camp in Germany, City are due to head for South Africa on Wednesday lunchtime for a three-match tour that will begin preparations for a new campaign that opens at Blackburn on August 15.

City have already signed Roque Santa Cruz from Blackburn to bolster their forward line this summer, but have loaned out Brazilian Jo to Everton on a season-long loan.

They have also ben linked with moves for the out-of-contract Carlos Tevez and Villarreal’s Giuseppe Rossi, both of whom are former Manchester United players.

In defence, City have been trying to sign Chelsea captain John Terry, while they have also been linked with Everton’s Joleon Lescott.

Lionel Messi has again urged Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano to consider a move to Barcelona.

The Argentine forward admits he would relish the opportunity to play alongside his countryman at club level.

Following speculation he could leave Anfield this summer, Mascherano has been heavily linked with a move to the Nou Camp.

Admitting to being flattered by reported interest from the Spanish champions, as well as Real Madrid, the 25-year-old has dropped his biggest hint yet that he may switch to La Liga.

Encouraging his compatriot to consider a move to Barca, Messi admits a possible deal is exciting for him and the club.

“Of course I would like him to join,” he told El Mundo Deportivo.

“Who would not want to play with great players like Javier? I hope he can come here.”

Messi admitted that his main target next term is to add to Barca’s flourishing trophy cabinet.

He also spoke of his international ambition, saying: “There are two things I would wish for and the first is that Barcelona can win more trophies, the second is for Argentina to win the World Cup next year.

“We (Barca) can dream about another treble, but it will be extremely difficult.”

Asked his opinion on Cristiano Ronaldo’s impending £80million move to Real Madrid, he said: “If there is a club that sells and a club willing to buy then that is that.

“I am not going to enter into the rights and wrongs because that is not my place, I just play.

“It does seem like a big fee, but as I have said it is not really my place.”

The agent of Swedish International Zlatan Ibrahimovic has revealed that Premier League clubs Manchester United and Chelsea have made contact, with regard to signing the Inter Milan striker.

27-year-old Ibrahimovic has been in fine form for the Nerazzurri this campaign, with the former Ajax player finding the net 21 times in Serie A for Jose Mourinho’s side.

However, despite being on the brink of helping Inter to yet another Scudetto, Ibrahimovic is understood to be keen on a move away from the San Siro. United and Mourinho’s former club Chelsea along with Barcelona and Real Madrid are all claimed to have made contact with the striker’s agent Mino Raiola, with Raiola also claiming that it is only these clubs, who could afford his client. Ibrahimovic is reportedly on around £160,000-a-week at the Italian Champions.

“Chelsea, Manchester United, Barcelona and Real Madrid are in contact with me,” Raiola told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet.

“They are the only teams capable of taking someone like Zlatan.”

However, Raiola also stated that Ibrahimovic, who has scored 62 goals in 114 games for Inter and is under contract at the Nerazzuri until the summer of 2013, could also remain at the San Siro.

“Until proven otherwise, he will go ahead with Inter because he is under contract with the Nerazzurri club,” he added.

“If we do move, it will be to another great team. Otherwise he will stay and try to win the Scudetto and Champions League with Inter next season.”

Ibrahimovic has scored 20 goals in 56 caps for Sweden, with it likely to cost the Blues, Red Devils, Barca or Los Blancos in excess of £40million to end the striker’s four-year spell in Italy.

Liverpool FC have issued an official statement on recent transfer rumours linking Javier Mascherano and Xabi Alonso away from Merseyside.

Here’s what LFC Globe’s website read,

Mascherano has been linked with European champions Barcelona while Xabi Alonso has been linked with a move to Real Madrid.

“Neither is for sale and furthermore Liverpool has no interest in the long list of Spanish based players being linked with a move to Anfield as part of any deal.”