Would this signing see Man City move from laughing stock to the real deal?

Football FanCast columnist Rob Facey wonders whether signing Sam Eto'o would see Man City move from laughing stock to the the real deal?

Samuel Eto'o will be begged to stay at the Nou Camp by Barcelona President Joan Laporta as the Cameroon forward looks to be edging towards the exit.

Manchester City are lining up a mammoth £25m bid and talks have already taken place between representatives of the player and the club.

Jose Mourinho is thought to want to take the player to the San Siro, while Chelsea and Liverpool have been linked with the Barca star in the past, although it now appears that the Spanish side are desperate for him to stay.

"Samuel is a top-class player and there are offers for him," Laporta said, as reported in The Sun.

"He has given us everything, and I don't just mean his goals, but also his attitude and character."

Lets say that he does choose Eastlands as his destination next season. A strikeforce of Robinho and Eto'o would surely strike fear into the strongest Premier League defence.

However, as we have learnt from last season, superstars in attack can not account for lapses in defence.

If Eto'o joins the club must invest in world class defenders. On top of this, City would start to resemble a proper outfit rather than a get rich quick scheme for footballers to invest in.

By having two of world football's best strikers on their books, not forgetting Craig Bellamy, of course, then they would almost look a decent bet for the top four.

Would Eto'o's arrival send a warning to the rest of the league? Would it show signs that the club are progressing from a relative laughing stock to one that the likes of United and Liverpool need to take seriously?

They must continue investing in other areas after Eto'o signs, but capturing one of Europe's deadliest strikers is not a bad start.

Maybe the owner's dream of Champions League football isn't so far fetched after all.