From Ade Cool to Ade Lukewarm

  • Post author:
  • Post category:News

Just a quick comment this morning on Wenger’s ‘quotes’ about Arsenal effectively being a selling club, and needing to balance the books year on year to pay for the stadium.

If you look at the more reputable papers this morning, while it is true they have picked the story up, they have done so rather hesitantly and have added caveats like “was reported as saying” and “was quoted as saying” to his so-called words. I’m not the only one who’d be deeply surprised if he did say that as it would have undermined almost everything he does. So take that one with a dollop of salt.

The truth as I see it is simple: if Adebayor will only stay if Arsenal treble, or quadruple his salary, then there’s not much Arsenal can do to keep him. The only course of action is to be patient and get the best price. It seems entirely sensible to me. If he is prepared to accept a more modest rise in recognition of his one good season, then there’s a glimmer of hope he might stay.

Outwardly, the boss is positive. He told the Daily Telegraph:

“We want him to stay, definitely. Adebayor still has a long time [three years] left on his contract, and we have absolutely no intention of releasing him from that contract. You want to keep your best players and Adebayor is one of those.”

I hope he stays, if only because he’s a good footballer. But he would require some urgent PR training as the warmth of feeling the fans had for him has dissipated rapidly.

The funny thing about Adebayor’s stance is not that he’s doing it – I suspect similar conversations have passed the lips of most of Arsenal’s players, even if their demands are less – but that he’s doing it so publicly. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot.

Who might replace him if he does go? Santa Cruz (£12m), Huntelaar (£18m), Arshavin (£20m) – it could be one or it could be none.

Jim

Arsenal since about 1979. Thick, thin and all that.