For and against…Tottenham keeping Emmanuel Adebayor

The Premier League Owl

Decision time looms for Tottenham and Emmanuel Adebayor. They’ve been living together for a while, is it time to walk down the aisle?

His loan expires in a week’s time, so Harry Redknapp and Daniel Levy need to reach a consensus on whether they trust the Togolese to lead their line for the foreseeable future.

For…

Adebayor is the definition of a modern forward, and is almost built-to-purpose for the Premier League. Big, strong, physical, good touch, excellent awareness – finding a player that ticks all those boxes is tough, so why allow one that you already have to slip through your fingers.

Buying a replacement would be risky. Luuk De Jong has been mentioned, as have Roberto Soldado and Alvaro Negredo – but all of those players carry a risk, as none of them are proven commodities in English football. Adebayor is an established Premier League performer whose credentials aren’t in any doubt.

All of the players mentioned above would command a bigger fee than would be required to make the Togalese’s move to White Hart Lane permanent. Such is Roberto Mancini’s apparent desire to be rid of Adebayor,and City’s eagerness to get him off the wage bill, that as little as £10m-£12m would probably be enough. Spurs would be looking at at least £15m for De Jong, and nearer £20m for the other two.

He’s popular with the other players. Squad harmony is a really underrated commodity in football, and Tottenham have it in abundance. Look at how the other players react to Emmanuel Adebayor; he’s liked by the rest of that squad, and that’s important. That’s not to say that an equally good-fit doesn’t exist, but that, again, finding one would carry a risk. And finding another ‘silly celebration’ partner for Gareth Bale would be harder still…

Against…

The big question mark against Adebayor is his attitude. So far, that hasn’t been a problem – but is that just because he knows he’s serving an apprenticeship of sorts at Tottenham? This is a forward with a lot to prove and a career to get back on track, but would his desire to contribute diminish with the security of a permanent deal?

Wages. Obviously. It’s a concern that the player doesn’t seem willing to negotiate-down on his wage demands, because it suggests that his commitment to being a Tottenham player isn’t enough to for him to settle for less money. Of course, that’s a two-plus-two style theory, but it still represents a red flag – and long-term, it doesn’t look good in front of the fans.

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