Adebayor moves on loan to Tottenham: Some Thoughts

Summarily short and sweet from the official site:

Emmanuel Adebayor has joined Tottenham Hotspur on loan for the rest of the season.

The striker, signed from Arsenal in the summer of 2009, will not be eligible under Premier League rules to play against City when the teams meet at White Hart Lane on Sunday.

A move that will no doubt endear Adebayor further to the Arsenal fans and one which SBNation's Tottenham blog has already been mulling over.

It is a move that Harry Redknapp has been looking to make as he seeks to strengthen his strikeforce which at times cost Tottenham over the 2010/11 season.

Roberto Mancini had said that none of the 'outcasts' would be handed subsidised loan moves this time around but even with Adebayor taking a significant pay cut it is difficult to envisage City not being on the hook for a chunk of his salary - with some suggestion that Tottenham are only paying around a third of his wages.

There has been some concern that by making the move, City are strengthening a side who will be looking to challenge City for a top four position, but seemingly without any interest in him from outside of the Premier League there was little choice available short of keeping him at the club and kicking his heels outside of the 25-man squad.

So which Adebayor will Tottenham get? The disinterested and lackadaisical short on confidence player or the forward capable of devasting play, causing problems for the best defences and capable of going on goalscoring tears? Truth be told, it will be somewhere in between and a little of both.

Adebayor still has two years after this remaining on his contract (taking him to the end of the 2012/13 season) so in many ways - with his City career all but over - a strong season from him increases the possibilities of a permanent move next summer, whether at Tottenham or elsewhere.

Adebayor's numbers: