Perhaps the only real surprise about Emmanuel Adebayor’s Arsenal exit is his new destination.
The striker’s Arsenal career effectively came to an end 12 months ago when he so openingly flirted with AC Milan in a bid to get an improved contract.
Adebayor may have got his pay rise but ultimately his relationship with Arsenal was damaged beyond repair.
From a monetary perspective Adebayor’s switch to Manchester City for a reported fee of £25m is good business for the player and the selling club.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has always maintained the Togo striker was signed for £3m so a £22m profit on selling a player who, while talented is a level below world class, is not to be sniffed at. Adebayor simply isn’t worth £25m.
The only surprise is that Arsenal didn’t sell the striker to a Serie A or La Liga club. After all on the evidence of recent seasons Arsenal look the member of the big four most immediately threatened by City’s limitless millions.
By letting Adebayor go to Eastlands they are strengthening City’s forward options while City will feel the Gunners' arsenal has been weakened significantly.
That Adebayor’s likely replacement at the Emirates, Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh, is less than prolific (he has averaged less than a goal every four games in his career) will be a worry to Arsenal fans.
That said Wenger’s judgment in the transfer market is invariably sound and sometimes brilliant.
Few managers judge better when to keep and when to sell . While Adebayor produced some spectacular moments at Arsenal - few Gunners fans will forget that incredible swivel and volley against Tottenham two years ago – his limitations were often exposed against the very best sides while his workrate and commitment was frequently and justifiably questioned.
Last season’s two-legged Champions League semi-final against Manchester United and FA Cup semi-final – ultimately the games that defined Arsenal’s season -were a case in point. Adebayor was utterly ineffective in all three games and gave the impression of being pretty disinterested.
Before those games Adebayor had spoken of a ravenous desire for silverware. His lacklustre performances in those games and the ease which he was dominated by John Terry and Nemanja Vidic suggested otherwise.
It was perhaps during these games and Adebayor’s failure to walk the walk having so bullishly talked the talk that convinced Wenger to cash in on him.
Nor was his overall goal return all that impressive. Adebayor scored just 16 times last season, not a sensational return in a side as creative as Arsenal’s.
The striker’s 30-goal haul the season before looks slightly less impressive when you consider six were scored against a truly abject Derby side.
That said Adebayor’s exit leaves Wenger with some big decisions to make given that Robin van Persie is injury prone, doubts remain as to whether Eduardo will ever truly recover from the sickening injury he suffered against Birmingham while Nicklas Bendtner , despite a few useful cameos, has invariably flattered to deceive.
Andrei Arshavin can play upfront but Wenger will need to get Chamakh scoring with greater regularity than he has in his career so far, unearth another gem, or spend big (the least likely scenario) if Arsenal are to end a four-year wait for silverware or even stay ahead of Adebayor’s new employers.
