Getting ready for Ade's adios

With reports of a medical having taken place and a work permit hearing in Manchester ,it looks as if Emmanuel Adebayor will be a Man City player by the end of the week.

The fee is reported to be around £25m, which would make Adebayor the most expensive African footballer in history. The figures for his wage fluctuate, but at the upper end of the spectrum, £170,000 p/week would make him the highest paid player in England.

They are huge sums - greater than either Arsenal or Adebayor could possibly gain from any other club. Milan’s highest offer last summer was reported as £24m - considering how Adebayor’s stock has fallen since then, an improvement on that would be remarkable.

It’s a signing that makes sense for Man City. They have signed a proven Premier League player from a top four club - they will see it as strengthening whilst weakening a rival.

Adebayor will score a good few goals, and at times he, Robinho, Tevez and Ireland will click with such attacking verve that some fans will wonder if we made a mistake in letting him go.

Adebayor, sadly, was too stupid to ignore the advisors who doubtless surround him and realise that for himself. At Arsenal he had a wonderful platform to go on and write his name among other great goalscorers: despite question marks over his finishing he is well over half the way to 100 Arsenal goals.

Instead, he threw his toys out of the pram until they were returned with bundles of cash, and when they were he lay there and sucked his thumb instead of continuing the hard work that had got him to that point.

It is, in the words of Elton John, a sad sad situation, but fortunately one that it seems will soon be resolved.