No one actually knows what’s going on. There are rumors, innuendo, a lot of “I heard such and such” but the truth is that no one, NO ONE, knows what’s actually happening with the Adebayor situation. And anyone who claims to have “insider” information is full of it, because Adebayor could easily go to Milan, Barcelona, or stay at Arsenal: all three of those scenarios are equally likely and anyone claiming special information on which of those three situations is simply guessing in order to generate hits on their web site. If you need any further proof, just look at where these reports are coming from: The Sun via Barcelona. I haven’t seen a less trustworthy source since the USA got sold a bill of goods on Iraq by an insider aptly named “curveball.”
It’s pretty clear that Barcelona and Milan are openly trying to prise him away from Arsenal but all the noise from our side is that they don’t want to sell the player. The boss is even going so far as to say that while he brought his checkbook to Euro 2008 and while he sees a ton of talent on display, he “will use my cheque-book first to keep the players I already have.”
How this jives with the whole Adebayor saga remains unclear but it isn’t the first time that we’ve heard him say this. My suspicion is that Wenger is very happy with the return he’s seen from Ade and wants to lock the player up but doesn’t want to overpay and upset the wage structure at the club. Furthermore, the player was just recently valued at £32m and the latest word is that even their reported offers of £21m are too rich for their depleted coffers and so they want to offload some of their players (Eto’o and cash for Adebayor? No’o thanks!). The player has only ever publicly stated that he wants to stay at Arsenal and (unlike Ronaldo) has repeatedly denied links to any other club. This story is possibly about Ade trying to get a raise, likely about Joan LaPorta keeping his job, and absolutely not going to happen. This story has no legs folks, Adebayor will be in red and white next season unless Barcelona cough up some kind of gigantic transfer fee.
Or maybe it will happen, like I said, you should distrst anyone who claims to know what’s going on. If it does happen Arsenal will get a damn fine return on a player they only paid £7m for. Either way I’m done with this story until I see a report on the dot com, I’m not generating hits for The Sun or helping LaPorta keep his job.
Remember back at the end of the season when I told you to prepare yourself for a summer with little or no transfer activity: the club had already started making noises about how the transfer kitty was less than £25m, and that of that £25m money was first going to go toward keeping the players we have. Now, think about what’s happened this summer: Arsenal have signed Aaron Ramsey, they have penned new contracts with Song, Sagna and Clichy, and the rumor is that Samir Nasri is on his way in. Nasri is reportedly costing £12m, Ramsey £5, and if each of the two full backs commanded £60,000/wk that’s another £6m. That’s a total of £23m and those deals right there have probably eaten up all the transfer kitty. Unless Adebayor moves on or Hleb commands the price Arsenal are supposedly asking (which no one seems to want to pay) there is no money to bring anyone in.
What I see happening is even IF they sell off Adebayor and Hleb, Arsenal will bank that money. Defenders will not be purchased because Wenger is happy with the defensive team and feels like Song can fill any other gaps there. A central midfield partner for Cesc is unnecessary because Arsenal have Gilberto and Diaby will be his understudy. There won’t be any loss in the striker spot because that’s already too crowded with Bendtner, Eduardo, Vela (who scored again for Mexico yesterday), van Persie, and Walcott. On the wings there will be Nasri, Rosicky, Eboue and possibly one of the many strikers.
None of which mentions the youth team that is bursting at the seams with talent like Simpson, Ramsey, Nordveit, Lansbury, Traore, etc etc. I can see all of these kids getting some playing time when injuries strike the first team.
With the credit crunch squeezing condo sales in the Highbury development, debts payments straining the coffers, and the wage structure rising with the signings of Clichy, Sagna, and Song (and imminent signing of Adebayor) we’re not likely to see that superstar signing so many of you seem to want.
My advice? “You’ll get over it.” You might as well start getting over it right now.
