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Spurs intensify bid to get Adebayor permanently

Comment: 0 January 31st, 2012

TOTTENHAM Hotspur’s move to have Emmanuel Adebayor with them permanently has begun.

Showing they are bent on acquiring the on-loan striker for good, Spurs have started talks with Manchester City.

The Togo player has been performing superbly for Harry Redknapp’s side this term since he joined the Spurs last summer for a season-long loan.

Discussions to finalise a move for Adebayor are on-going as Redknapp stressed his intention to keep the former at White Hart Lane.

The Spurs are set to pay around £8 million for the ex-Arsenal striker, who was hired by City in 2009 for £25 million.

But Tottenham could be forced to bid higher since Adebayor’s salary could pose some problems.

The 27-year-old striker, who has scored nine goals so far for the Spurs, is paid £170,000 per week under his contract at City. The Spurs pay around 50 per cent of his wages at City while the latter shoulder the rest of the income.

A permanent move to Spurs would require Adebayor to take a huge wage-cut but Tottenham are expected to restructure their £75,000-a-week wage ceiling just to keep the Togolese with them.

A £100,000-per-week pay is now seen to come Adebayor’s way because midfielder Luka Modric has just been offered a new deal.

Spurs Chairman David Levy is expected to give the highly-sought Adebayor the same salary.

Meanwhile, Spurs first-team coach Joe Jordan called on his players to prove their doubters wrong and show they are indeed serious title contenders.

Jordan said the squad must rebound from their recent 2-3 loss at Manchester City that left them eight points behind the latter in the standings.

Tottenham are hosting Wigan on Wednesday.

“I don’t think you can just be a good team. I think you have to be a winning team,” said Jordan, after emerging from a meeting with Redknapp to map out their plans against the Latics.

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