Adebayor Saga – It's Spurs fault
Saturday, July 21, 2012 at 5:20 PM | by Kam Gill 
It's official. There is no common sense in football any more. The whole Adebayor saga proves this.
Let me paint you a very realistic picture. You are in charge at football club. You have a player on loan from a rival football club. This player has just completed a successful loan season with you. You want to keep the player for good. You agree a fee with the players' parent club. What is missing in those chain of events?
Did Spurs not think to sit down with Adebayor to see if he would be willing to take a pay cut from his ridiculous salary he is currently on? Surely, It can not be classed as 'tapping up' a player who is on loan at your club. Why didn't Spurs just get a vague idea whether Adebayor would be willing to compromise his wages instead of just going into this blindly and being made to look foolish?
Even if it is illegal in football to discuss a possible salary with a player who is on loan at your club, an anonymous phone call to Adebayor is all it would have took for Spurs to gauge his wage demands. (Oh yes, that never happens, does it?)
If you go to buy a house does it not make sense to find out what the monthly mortgage will be before you agree a fee?
Let's not have any sympathy for the likes of Adebayor and Santa Cruz. The reason they can not find new clubs are because they are unwilling to take a pay cut. I am sure Manchester City would love to get those two players off their books. They have, after all, had to pay part of their wages for those players to play at another club.
Seriously, didn't someone at Tottenham think the wages was going to be a stumbling block somewhere down the line with Adebayor? They know what Adebayor is on at Manchester City having agreed the loan move in the first place so why not talk to the player himself before agreeing a fee with City?
It just makes no sense to me. Even a quiet word with Adebayor would have sufficed.
Spurs - “Would you accept X amount a week to play for us?”
Ade - “No”
Job done – move on to other targets. Spurs have no one but themselves to blame for this unnecessarily drawn out saga.
Kam Gill
Reader Comments (13)
#lol
...and do you honestly think the club hadn't already spoken to Adebayor? Jeez.
Daniel Levy is notorious for doing the best business for the sake of the club. Look at the Vertoenghen (sp) transfer "saga". Went on for a while, all worked out fine.
What a pointless article.
Okay, first of all I would like to thank you for taking the time out to read my 'Pointless article and then taking the time to comment on it.
However, if the club have already spoken to Adebayor, then why has the move not gone through yet?
Why has Adebayor not signed yet? Why is he not a Spurs player? Why has he not agreed personal terms?
Care to enlighten us?
By any means, a loan to permanant move should avoid what is happening now.
Vertoenghen was not on loan at Spurs so Levy could not have discussed personal terms with him before he spoke to his club so is a different case.
I can understand your frustration with this article but shouldn't your frustration be about this move not being wrapped up by now?
Thanks in advance.
The article is not pointless, it brings out a few valid points. I think that the Ade deal is stalling because Levy likes to fish around before he settles on anything. Ade proved himself good last year, and he is cheap(that if the 5 mp is correct). But his wages are still a bit above our wage budget imo. Levy also likes to give us 2 players spread out over a few days. Im thinking this deal is done, but that he wants to show off two players in the same week. Hoping that we get Ade, Lloris and another striker asap zulu honolulu!
The Russians are coming. I think the interest shown by at least 1 other club has put a spanner in the works. My GUESS, and thats all any of us can do, is that we agreed terms with Ade and someone has come in with a better offer. So do we up our offer or tell him to *uck off. I would go with the latter. I'm getting really worried that we have not finalised a deal for at least 1 striker this summer. We need at least 2 . So having secured none at this point is scary.
Thanks guys.
Fred - That could well be. However, knowing what we do about Adebayor, I would be worried that he has not signed yet.
Ofcourse Tim could be right - for all we know the deal might well have been done.
We are all but here to speculate.
I just don't see any reason why the deal was not done in a matter of days, done and dusted. Spurs surely were in a good position to sign him. Maybe he is happy collecting his massive wages and moving from club to club? That would be my worry.
But I agree - we just don't know.
Calm down boys, maybe a better offer did come in, maybe AVB has worked some magic and has twisted Hulks arm to play for us, maybe Sturridge would be seen as a better fit? No need to worry, the transfer floodgates will open after the olympics, i mean this really is early pre season: IN AVB AND LEVY I TRUST TO RE ESTABLISH GLORY TO OUR CLUB....COYS!!
How I think we'll line up....
GK Lloris/Butland/Brad
DEF Walker Vert/Dawson Kaboul/Caulker Benny/Fryers
MID Moutinho/VDV Siggy Sandro/Parker/Thudd/Livermoore
ATT Hulk/Lennon Ade/Sturrdige Bale/Townsend
That is the best squad in the Prem and I believe will will acquire the four players necessary.
I wouldn't put it passed Levy to wait a while for the transfer to go through, so that Man C keep paying him for a few weeks and we don't have to... which is why it would be completed once pre-season had started... but of course you'd expect it to have come through in time to fly to the US. But i'm not worried, the strikers will be in place before the season starts
Interesting but still speculation. Frankly I have more confidence in DL. Ade only has one year left at £170k with Man C, then he either comes down to earth or goes to China/Rusiia. It appears that Spurs salary cap is going up; if it is £100k pw for example Spurs might offer £100k per week for a 4 year deal and bridge the Man City gap for year 1 by a signing on fee of say £3.5m. Ade puts some of his cash into Togo to support good causes (a common practice in MLB but all too rare here), so maybe the tax issues need sorting first; with some careful tax planning he could could enhance his charitable givings. I trust DL and so I'm a lot more patient than journos having to file copy.
I,m struggling with this article - it's not at all to do with common sense, mainly because Man City have a wage structure that is beyond any realm of sense - common or other wise.
They will release Adey in order to bring in fresh blood and be happy to take a big hit on the transfer fee they paid - but with Adey like a number of players they will have to pay a sweetner in order to get him off theor books - this maybe a single payment, this maybe contributing a percentage of the players wages even though he is employed by another club.
This happens a lot more than you would think and not just amongst thhe elite.
This transfer is not being held up by Tottenhams in ability to pay the wage demands of the player - spurs will pay a big signing on fee with a slightly reduced weekly wage to come into line with the squads pay structure.
The hold up is because Man City - understanably they want to pay as little as possible and thhe player is refusing to leave the club and sign for another until Man C agree a parachute payment weekly/ lump sum to the player.
Levy could hardly phone City up and ask what they would be contributing before trying to sign him.
They rightly hoped that the player would be expecting a pay cut and be happy to move on.
But any shrewd agent knowing that City need to move on players is happy to play hard ball.
This transfer will go ahead when and if City and Adey agree the severance structure
Has nothing to do with Tottenham - their in ability to read the situation or do their home work on the subject
To think that Levey would try to do this deal with hos had in the sand is nonsense and lacks understanding of one of the shrewdest chairman in the game
Understanding Levy as a Chairmen is not what this article is about. After all, if he was not any good then he wouldn't be in his job. It's merely asking or trying to understand what the hold up is of this transfer.
The Peice was written armed with reports from national papers who are reporting that Ade is refusing to take a pay cut.
If Adebayor can not agree this 'severance structure', then surely Spurs would have foreseen this and put measures in place.
I completely understand the whole ' trying to get the best deal' deal, but they could lose out if someone else swoops in and offers the player what he wants.
But why would Spurs rightly hope that Ade would take a pay cut? Would they have not asked him if he would? Anybody who follows football and has followed Ade's career would have seen that his wages are the only reason that he is still a Manchester City player. If Spurs hoped that he would take a pay cut - they misread the situation.
If Levy couldn't call up City to ask them what they would contribute then surely he was hoping that Adebayor and Manchester City would come to an agreement. But he must have thought what happens if they don't agree? Hoping isn't really a plan to be relied on.
So now what? Move on to other targets or increase the signing on fee?
Either way we look at it, the transfer fee is low for the player. If Spurs wanted the player, whose market value is closer to the £12 - £15 million in reality, then common sense and logic says the signing on fee should be upped. That way Spurs get the player they want, cheaper than they should stiil, City are happy, Ade is happy, Spurs are happy. Unless Spurs don't think the player is worth it.
I also understand the whole playing hardball logic. But in todays market where a good deal is hard to come by, paying the extra money would send out a few clear messages.
First it shows that Spurs are wiling to spend for what they think is worth it and allows them to build upon their team.
Second it shows a player who has spent the last season at White Heart Lane is willing to commit to the club showing confidence in the direction the club is taking.
Ofcourse we are not taking into consideration the Harry Redknapp factor. But for now that is neither here or there.
The talk is about Adebayor, his wages and his refusal to take a pay cut.
Let's not forget that Adebayor is not 'due' this severance pay. It's what he wants to move because Spurs will not match his wages.
Would this have not come up in conversations between Spurs and Ade?
Either way, if reports are to be believed, then Spurs and Adebayor have not agreed personal terms. And that is what this whole saga is about. Adebayor wants his money, and does not care where he gets it from.
Let's not blame Adebayor, he is just playing true to form. We knew he wouldn't agree to a pay cut. Or Manchester City, who don't want or need the player. Although they did countersign his contract.
However, its reported that Adebayor signed a 5 year contract when he joined in 2009. If this is correct his contract does not expire untill June 2014.
If Levy is playing this as a straight business deal, he has had plenty of time to foresee any possible hold ups and put measures in place.
Maybe he has got a master plan or maybe he just thought Adebayor would be happy to take the pay cut.
Either way, the reality of the situation is that he could lose out on this deal and better planning would have had this settled by now.
Ofcourse there is the possiblilty that Ade left Spurs telling them he would take a pay cut too...
Not at all - any player currently on Man C's huge pay structure could only move to maybe 1 or 2 other clubs in the world and expect to get anywhere near the same money.
It doesn't matter if it is Adey or Santa Cruz or any other player on their books - if City want to get a player out of the club then they are going to have to put some money into the deal.
And as long as City's desire to move him no is greater than Spurs's desire to buy him there will always be a point where the agents try to squeeze all they can.
You and I know that Spurs want the player - at such a low transfer fee who wouldn't.
Even if he gets the reported £5 million signing on fee he will still be cheap.
Bit simply this deal is now between the player and City.
If the deal with Spurs netted you £120,000 a week (weekly plus signing on fee) and you where happy would you sign ?
Or if your agent thought he could get you £120,000 a week from spurs and £25,000 a week extra from City what would you do then ?
All you need to do is train with the reserves for a couple of weeks until City's break the stand off.
And thats where this deal is - Adey will sign for Spurs no matter what - remember City have no chance of signing RVP with Adey anywheere near the club - no big name striker is going to sign when they already have to many there already.
In fairness all City have to do is not give Adey a squad number - possible but expensive - so it will be stalemate for a little while longer and then Spurs will get a fairly cheap player all things considered - City will move him on and the player will be on £150,000 ish a week instead of £!20,000 and no one can be blamed - just the way modern football works nowadays
Nothing wrong with the article, however, the fact that there has been a lot of comment that Spurs would offer Adebayor a huge signing on fee to sweeten the loss in wages suggests that there has been a discussion in advance about this. Whether that was with Ade or with his agent is anyones guess, but I cant believe that a man as astute as Levy thought this was a done deal without involving all parties. Adebayor is notrious for his "me me me" nature and I think he simply realises that he can get more money elsewhere and so is asking Spurs for more.
If the deal is stalling due to Manchester City's refusal to pay Ade off then didn't Levy foresee this? IF his plan is to wait until City cave in - that's fine - but the risk is now there.
Levy would have been better served to agree a deal with Ade, then send him back to City appearing to not be interested in buying him. Ade's mission would have been to try and cut a deal with City.
With there appearing to be no interest, City would have been more likely to cut a deal with Ade. Once that deal was in place, Spurs could have swooped in and got their man.
The way it stands now is that a bid of £5-6 million has been agreed and any club could match that. In fact Man City are probberly waiting to see if anyone matches the bid to try and spark off a wages' bidding war.
The way it has been played now is that Spurs are powerless. All they can do is wait for City and Ade to agree. But what if they don't? City didn't cave in with Tevez so it remains to be seen if they will with Ade.
Now the world's media and every football club manager know that the transfer fee is £5-6 million. If any club would want him at that price, then Manchester City would have a shed load of offers by now. But as of yet there is none, apart form the one from Spurs.
Why is the deal being left to Ade and Man City? Does this mean Ade has agreed personal terms with Spurs? If he has, then why don't Spurs just tell the media? Spurs still can have part to play by increasing the signing on fee or even upping the transfer bid to compensate City further, thus making a deal more likely.
There is nothing wrong with wanting the player for as little as possible, but by playing that game the risk of losing him altogether is a strong one.
A possible Van Persie move will not be affected by Ade not moving becuase he will not see Ade as a first team threat. The only politics is the whole fact that they don't like each other from their Arsenal days but even Van Persie can see that Ade is unlikely to play for Manchester City again. And is Ade doesn't move, they will just ship him out on loan again.
Whatever happens, at least it sparked a decent debate.
None of us are experts here - just fans of the game.