Chelsea signed him for nothing and were rewarded with a hat-trick vs Manchester United exactly 12 years ago

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Down the years, Chelsea have managed to acquire some absolute superstars on free transfers.

In 2020, they signed Thiago Silva from Paris Saint-Germain for nothing and he helped them to win the Champions League.

Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike recently named Silva in his all-time XI, with the Brazilian being one of the finest defenders of his generation.

Michael Ballack and Samuel Eto’o were two other world-class footballers Chelsea managed to land on free transfers.

Samuel Eto’o scored Chelsea hat-trick against Manchester United 12 years ago

Eto’o is one of the greatest goalscorers that European football has ever seen but was well past his best when he signed for Chelsea from Anzhi Makhachkala in 2013.

However, that did not stop the Cameroonian from being the hat-trick hero when Chelsea faced Premier League rivals Manchester United exactly 12 years ago.

Jose Mourinho’s side beat David Moyes’ team 3-1 at Stamford Bridge, with Eto’o scoring all three goals for his club.

You can choose one Chelsea legend to play in Liam Rosenior’s team today. Who are you calling? 🤔

Imagine this Chelsea team with Didier Drogba! 🔥

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Fast forward to now, and Chelsea have Joao Pedro and Liam Delap leading the line for them.

Despite criticism, Pedro has done a fairly good job at Chelsea this season, but neither the Brazilian nor Delap can compete with Eto’o in his prime.

Samuel Eto’o’s record in 2013/14 season

The 2013/14 season was the only one Eto’o spent at Stamford Bridge, and he was only able to score nine Premier League goals during his time there.

In total, the Barcelona legend netted 12 times across all competitions. He was not the prolific Eto’o that supporters saw in Spain and Italy, but his record was still quite impressive if you base it on the teams he scored against.

As well as United, Eto’o also managed to find the back of the net in games versus Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal.

Had Eto’o joined Chelsea while he was at the peak of his powers, there is no doubt that the retired Cameroon international would have torn English football apart.