Spanish prosecutors have said they plan to take action against Eto’o, who has also had stints with Chelsea and Everton, over claims he allegedly defrauded the tax authorities of over £3m between 2006 and 2009.

The allegations are said to relate to the way in which the tax on image rights for the player was handled, and it is also alleged that his income from personal sponsor Puma had been dealt with as corporate tax when he should have been paying income tax at the highest rate.

Eto’o played for Barcelona from 2004 to 2009. The Cameroon striker now plays with the Turkish club Antalyaspor. He has made no comment on the latest developments in the matter, but has previously denied wrongdoing, saying he was not directly involved in his tax matters.

Barcelona star Neymar is also facing allegations from Spanish prosecutors who want the striker to be sent to prison for two years for his part in a corruption case over his transfer from Brazilian club Santos in 2013.

The case stems from a complaint by Brazilian investment group DIS, which owned 40% of Neymar's transfer rights and alleges it received less money than it was entitled to from transfer fee.

In June, Barcelona paid a fine of £4.65m after the club admitted to Spanish tax officials that there was ‘an error in the fiscal planning of the player’s transfer.’

Former Barcelona president Sandro Rosell has resigned over his role in the affair and has testified in court, Neymar, Neymar's father and the club’s current president Josep Maria Bartomeu.

There is now likely to be a trial, although under the Spanish legal system, prison terms of under two years are typically suspended.

In July, Barcelona’s star striker Lionel Messi and his father were sentenced to 21 months in prison for tax fraud, which was suspended, and are currently appealing.