Samuel Eto'o to Sampdoria: Everton striker ready for Italian job after Sampdoria agree deal including director clause

Cameroonian joined Everton on a free last summer

Samuel Eto'o in action for Everton (Getty Images)

Samuel Eto’o is on the verge of a return to Italy, after Sampdoria agreed a two-and-a-half-year deal for the Everton striker today.

Eto’o, who spent two years at Internazionale from 2009 to 2011, will travel to the Genoa club on Sunday for a medical on Monday and it is understood that his contract includes a clause allowing him to become a director after his stint as a player.

The former Cameroon international has scored three times in the Premier League since his arrival at Goodison Park last summer on a free transfer from Chelsea. His last goals came against Burnley on 26 October.

Earlier in the week, Eto’o’s agent, Claudio Vigorelli, said that his player had chosen Sampdoria – fifth in Serie A – over a more lucrative move to the Brazilian club Santos.

Meanwhile, Roberto Martinez, the Everton manager, is determined to use the club’s midweek FA Cup loss on penalties to West Ham United as a positive.

Martinez is already looking at using next weekend, when the Cup fourth round is played, to take his squad abroad.

“We are looking into if we have an opportunity to work in a warm-weather training camp, which would help as you can get extra work done,” he said before his team’s home match against West Bromwich Albion on Monday.

The Spaniard was heartened by the display at West Ham but would like to see a change to the competition’s rules.

“We had to play over an hour with 10 men and the way we did was a real successful story,” he said. “Any other competition around the world we would have got through on away goals.

“We had to go through the lottery of penalties and, unfortunately, luck didn’t allow us to get through. We did everything we could have done. If you are going to be knocked out of a competition, that is the way to be knocked out.”