Barcelona ace Lionel Messi hailed his outcast teammate Samuel Eto'o as the best striker in the world as he urged the Cameroon forward to stay ay Nou Camp. Eto'o's exit from Barcelona was inevitable after new coach Josep Guardiola pronounced that the 28-year-old is out of his plans. "I hope that Eto'o does not go. There is no other centre-forward like him in the world," Messi said after Barca's friendly win over Dundee United. "He is a player that can make the difference. He has always played at a high level, even after suffering his injuries. "Eto'o is an important player for us and an exemplary professional, but it depends on him and the club and what they both want to happen." Lyon Offer In the meantime, Eto'o's agent refuted claims that an offer was received from French Ligue1 champions Lyon to sign his client. "No-one from Barca has said anything about this to us and neither have Lyon got in contact with me about this," agent Jose Maria Mesalles told Barcelona-based El Mundo Deportivo. "To talk now about this is to speculate. We have not received any interesting offer."
