Before Barcelona signed Samuel Eto’o in 2004, they worried about the man they were buying. They knew Eto’o had much in common with other players: vanity, ego, jealousy, generosity, principles. They knew those traits were multiplied by ten.

Despite the goals, despite the glory, powerful figures within Barcelona no longer want to deal with the challenge of Eto’o’s forthright personality.

According to sources at the Catalan club, the Cameroon forward is available for transfer as part of a strategy that includes Ronaldinho staying – with the hope of recuperating his best physical form after a long rest – and Thierry Henry arriving.

But Eto’o has other ideas. He is not about to relinquish control of his destiny, to go quietly. He wants to play with Henry, not be the big-money departure that finances the Arsenal captain’s move to the Nou Camp.

“I am the owner of my future and I have a very clear idea of what I want,” Eto’o said. “The club cannot force me to do anything, nobody can.” But if Barcelona ask him to leave? “And if I say I don’t want to go?” Something similar happened 20 years ago at the club with Bernd Schuster, now a potential successor to Fabio Capello as coach of Real Madrid. Schuster had to train on his own for a year after refusing to follow instructions.

“I don’t think the club . . .” Eto’o tails off, takes a breath. There have been times when he would have been wise to pause for thought before venting his spleen. If his frankness is an asset, it is also a liability at times.

Such as last February, when he accused Frank Rijkaard, the coach, of being a “bad person” and Ronaldinho of not training enough, as well as confirming everybody’s impression of a squad divided. Joan Laporta, the Barcelona president, admitted as much yesterday when he criticised the team for indiscipline. Half-a-dozen players will be sold, Laporta said, but not the famous names, and Rijkaard will stay.

The feeling at the club is not that Real won the La Liga title on Sunday, but that the defending champions lost it. Barcelona flunked the big tests in the season just ended. The key matches exposed a team that lacked aggression, fraternity and unity. The paradox is that the board seems to have identified as one of the problems the person to announce that those vital qualities were missing: Eto’o.

“I have a very good relationship with the club, a very good one with the chairman [Laporta], and I don’t think we will get to that point [him leaving],” the 26-year-old said. “There are people interested in me leaving, I know that. When I don’t have anything more to give Barcelona I will let the board and the coach know. But at the moment, someone is building a huge lie, so big that everybody believes it – only I will decide my future and I will continue here.

“Henry? I was chatting to him while he was boarding the plane that took him to the States to see the NBA final. He is a great mate of mine and we will play all together. There is room for everybody.”

It couldn’t be clearer. Eto’o wants to stay and his body language, sat in the trophy room at the Nou Camp, told its own story. There was a confident little smile at the mention of doubts about his future and his arms waved with a gesture that promised war if he does not get what he wants. And he wants to play alongside Henry next season at the Nou Camp. And Ronaldinho, despite the rumours of a personality clash.

“Ronnie has things off the pitch I am not used to and vice versa, but we go out partying together,” he said. “It is just that we don’t call journalists [in order that] they see us together. We are two great players, we have nothing to envy of each other. People look for the divisions, the crises. I really hope they mean well, that they want to motivate us.

“But I am afraid that, as a consequence of their words, a tense atmosphere is created. I remember Ronnie missing a penalty against Benfica in the Champions League, he was being criticised at the time, and I told him, ‘Wait, you will see.’

“He gave me a wonderful pass a few minutes later, I could have scored and the defender thought so, but I gave it to Ronnie and he scored. That day I was happier than if I had put it in the back of the net. I would do that a thousand times for a friend like him.”

Despite losing the title to Real, the club that let him go as a youngster, Eto’o puts things in context. Only last year Barcelona won the domestic title and the Champions League. And everybody has identified the problems that have arisen this year – mostly complacency. So all they have to do is go back to the beginning, to what made them the most-feared team in Europe. Eto’o’s season was injury-hit, but he still managed 11 goals in 17 league starts.

“I am a great player and so is Ronnie,” he said. “And Barcelona is a special club. The Catalan press are divided between pro-Ronnie and pro-Eto’o. But my battle, my fight, is Barcelona. I feel people prefer to twist my words, not to hear what I am really saying.”

Eto’o likes to cast his thoughts back a decade or so. It gives him a sense of perspective, ensuring he will not forget where he has come from. He takes his mind back to one cold October afternoon in 1996 when he arrived at Madrid’s Barajas airport, a 15-year-old dressed in shorts and T-shirt. With him was Antonio Olisse, a Nigerian kid who was also going for a trial with Real.

“I saw Antonio in Germany recently,” Eto’o said. “He broke his leg and had to retire.” What he didn’t add is that he gave his old friend a loan and he does not expect a repayment.

While in Madrid as a young player, Eto’o discovered the allure of the capital. He befriended dozens of people who live in the street, some who stole from him, others who abused the “open door” policy in his house. “I am always willing to hear from everybody and help them,” he said, “but some people think you are an idiot, they think you do it because you have more money than them. I do it because I honestly want to help.” Whatever some at the Nou Camp may think, he still has much to give Barcelona, and one thing to demand.

“All I want from everybody is commitment,” he said, “so we give pleasure to those millions of people that follow us and that pay us, so at the end of the season we have a clear conscience.”

Friendly fire

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Age at which Samuel Eto’o made his Cameroon debut, compared with Thierry Henry’s for France at 20

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Appearances Eto’o made for Real Madrid

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International goals by Henry, 16 more than Eto’o

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Spanish league goals by Eto’o in past five seasons for Barcelona and Real Mallorca – Henry has scored 116 Premiership goals in that period