Real swoop to sign Adebayor on loan
Real Madrid have boosted their push for honours by
signing Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor on loan for the rest
of the season, the two clubs said on Tuesday.
The 26-year-old Togolese international will travel to Madrid on
Wednesday to undergo a medical.
Real will have the option to sign Adebayor on a permanent basis at the
end of the season and Spanish media reports said they could pay around
15 million euros ($20.42 million) for him.
The powerful frontman will provide Real coach Jose Mourinho with an
extra attacking option following a back injury to Argentine striker
Gonzalo Higuain that will sideline him until around April.
Mourinho has been pushing the club for another centre-forward since
arriving from Inter Milan last year and with Higuain's injury and Karim
Benzema's failure to live up to expectations the pressure had grown
during January.
France striker Benzema has only scored two league goals this season as
Real chase La Liga leaders Barcelona, prepare for a King's Cup
semi-final and the Champions League knockout stages.
Real's first choice as a stand-in appeared to be their former striker
Ruud van Nistelrooy but SV Hamburg refused to release him.
Moving for Adebayor, the 2008 African Player of the Year, had the added
bonus that he is a free to play for Real in the Champions League.
Adebayor started his career in France with Metz and AS Monaco before
making his name after signing for Arsenal in 2006.
He scored 62 goals in 142 appearances in all competitions with Arsene
Wenger's side before moving to Manchester City on a five-year contract
in 2009 for around 25 million pounds.
He managed 19 goals in 36 starts for City but has dropped out of the
reckoning this season and was pushed further towards the door when City
signed Bosnian striker Edin Dzeko this month.
