Amidst Jô‘s surprising start and strong performance on Sunday for Manchester City, we’ve forgotten about one of that selection’s implications: What’s happened to Emmanuel Adebayor?
Emmanuel Adebayor Reveals January Loan Move To Juventus
Jô served a very specific purpose on Sunday (adroitly illustrated by Michael Cox on Monday), but why couldn’t City’s more expensive, more accomplished Togoan titan have done the same? Manager Roberto Mancini’s choice of the young, formerly wayward Brazilian seemed to speak volumes about Adebayor’s reliability.
Two days after that selection, it’s only a mild surprise that Adebayor not only wants out but has confirmed a loan deal’s in place. Per Tuesday comments from the striker, Italian giants Juventus will take Adebayor on loan in the winter transfer window. A deal between the clubs has already been agreed:
Adebayor told Sport/Foot Magazine: "I don't know what I did wrong to Roberto Mancini, but he never makes me play.
"I'm going to change air during the transfer window in January. And I can tell you that City has already reached an agreement with Juventus for a loan. I therefore expect to be able to leave in December."
Adebayor may not be the most reliable news source, and if the 26-year-old striker is hurt between now and the end of December, the deal will be off. Still, it's very rare that you hear such explicit confirmation of a pending deal. The destination team's specifically named. The player confirms his club's commitment. Even the way he words it - "I can tell you" - makes it sound like both an announcement and a conveniently timed, self-serving explanation.
It’s an excuse which helps reconcile why Jô was chosen over Adebayor, it’s always strange when a tactic calls for a target man and you leave your best one out. Adebayor was still on the bench at Fulham and has often been used late in City’s matches, but with a loan deal a month away, Mancini may understandably want to limit the player’s exposure.
Those kind of considerations of playing time be how we can verify Adebayor’s claim, though depending on how much salary Juventus will pick up, it may not matter. If Manchester City is covering Adebayor’s wages while he’s in Turin, there’s no incentive to reduce his playing time. Whether out on loan or recovering in Manchester, City’s playing the wages. If Juventus is picking up a significant portion of Adebayor’s wages or has an option to buy in the loan deal, Mancini may want to preserve the commodity.
For Manchester City’s Champions League chances, the loan deal has little effect. The only potential problem is wear-and-tear on Carlos Tévez. If the Argentine dynamo tires or gets injured, Adebayor would be the logical replacement. If Adebayor’s in Turin and Tévez stumbles, Mario Balotelli will likely play the Tévez role. Either way, Roque Santa Cruz should see a bigger role, bad news for the Paraguayan who himself was hoping for a loan deal.
For Juventus, this is a low risk, high reward scenario. Emmanuel Adebayor would be a perfect target on the end of Milos Krasic and Simone Pepe service. He provides a different dimension than the likes of Fabio Quagliarella, Alessandro del Piero and, to a certain extent, Vincenzo Iaquinta. In addition, Adebayor’s style of play portends to an easy adjustment to Italy. If Luigi Delnieri can make quick use of his new striker, Juventus will have their low-grade version analog to Milan’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic signing.
Depending on how close Serie A race is come January, Emmanuel Adebayor’s move to Juventus could swing the balance of Italy’s title race. Of course, that assumes the player performs. If also assumes the player is right about his loan.
See More:
