According to The Sun, Newcastle United are among the clubs linked with a move for Emmanuel Adebayor. The Togolese forward is keen on returning to England before he calls time on his career and hence, a move to Newcastle in January could be on the horizon. However, the Magpies could face stiff competition from Aston Villa.
Adebayor’s illustrious career
Adebayor was primarily known for his spell at Arsenal when he joined the club in 2006. The forward scored an impressive 62 goals in just 142 competitive appearances for the club before moving to rivals Manchester City in 2009, for a fee of €29 million. He enjoyed a decent debut campaign in Manchester, netting 14 goals.
But then, the ex-Metz starlet had to spend two loan spells at Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur. While the spell at Bernabeu ended in disaster, Adebayor impressed at Tottenham, much to the dislike of the Arsenal fans. He scored 42 goals for the Lilywhites in 113 matches in all competitions.
Adebayor then joined Crystal Palace in 2016 but managed to score only once for the Eagles before leaving England in favour of a move to Turkey. During his spell at Istanbul Basaksehir and Kayserispor, Adebayor netted 26 goals in 68 matches in the Turkish Super Lig.
The 35-year-old is currently a free agent, having left Kayserispor in December of last year. And a return to England could make sense as the forward looks to take his tally of 97 Premier League goals to a round figure of 100.
Is Adebayor a viable target for Newcastle?
Newcastle United have struggled in the attacking department this season. New signing Joelinton has failed to provide the productivity that was needed while the likes of Andy Carroll and Yoshinori Muto have struggled with injuries. As a result, Jonjo Shelvey is currently the top scorer for the club this season.
Therefore, the Magpies are in imminent need of a reliable centre forward. And that’s where a move for Adebayor might not make sense. At the age of 35, the Togolese forward is way past his prime and is on the final phase of his career.
Even though he can bring in a lot of experience at the highest level of football, Newcastle require a younger alternative, who can add more mobility in the attack – making Bruce’s side much more threatening on the counter. Not to mention, the signing of Adebayor would unnecessarily eat up the club’s wage budget, making it difficult for them to sign other players in the market.
Hence, the Magpies should definitely shift their attention elsewhere as they continue their search for a new attacker in this January transfer window.
