Arsenal’s Togolese striker Emmanuel Adebayor has agreed a deal with AC Milan, according to reports in Italy.
La Gazzetta Dello Sport revealed that the striker met with representatives of the Rossoneri and agreed a deal. However, the terms of the transfer have not yet been agreed, with Milan president Silvio Berlusconi yet to positively respond to Arsenal’s supposed €40million (£31.7million) asking price.
As Gazetta writer Andrea Schianchi explains:
Everything possible has already been done: the agreement with the player (and what a player!) is in place, which is already a major step. Now it comes down to Berlusconi’s decision and then negotiations with the Arsenal management.
However, this scenario has occured at Milan before. The £23.7million transfer of Azzuri defender Alessandro Nesta from Lazio in 2003 had a similar rocky path to completition.
Schianchi expands on this:
Berlusconi officially announced that he would not buy the defender [Nesta] because the asking price was too high: the player was signed just three days later
The journalist then goes on to do his best to convince Berlusconi that the striker is worth the money:
Considering his age (24), the player would be an investment for the future; certainly more so than Drogba (30) or Eto’o (27, but has suffered several leg injuries). If the deal were to go through Milan’s forward line would need no further adjustments for several years: Pato is 18 years old, Kaka 26 and Adebayor 24. In short, Berlusconi should spend now to save in the future.
So will Adebayor remain at the Emirates for next season? According to La Gazzetta, it is only a matter of a decision from Berlusconi, yet I somehow think it is a bit more than this. Surely Wenger won’t freely allow Adebayor, last seasons top scorer, to leave so easily, especially with only youngster Vela and recovering Eduardo his alternatives.
Thoughts?