Manchester United will apparently meet with the representatives of Samuel Eto'o this week after entering the race to sign the up-for-sale forward.
His club, Anzhi Makhachkala, are looking to offload many of their high-earning foreign stars and have apparently made Eto'o available for around £5m.
Chelsea have admitted that want-away Red Devils striker Wayne Rooney is their number one transfer target, but have also been linked with a move for the 32-year-old.
Italian newspaper Gazzetta Dello Sport understands that United, like the Blues, have identified Eto'o as a contingency plan should Rooney not be on their books when the transfer window closes.
Eto'o spent the peak years of his career with Barcelona and Inter Milan, winning four domestic league titles and the Champions League three times.