There are several reasons Celtic shouldn’t even sniff around Emmanuel Adebayor this summer.
The Hoops have been linked with a move for the Togo forward, who spent six years at Arsenal and Manchester City respectively (The Sun). This comes due to the fact he could be snapped up on a Bosman deal this summer.
But the striker isn’t the force he once was either. This season with Istanbul Basaksehir, he’s only managed to fire home four goals in 21 appearances. Outside of that, the attacker has contributed little, and there’s now a reason his contract isn’t getting renewed.
Neil Lennon has, in the past, claimed that a striker is a real priority in the transfer window (The Herald). But it’s difficult to see why we would need a fourth in the first place. After all, we have Odsonne Edouard, Leigh Griffiths, and Vakoun Issouf Bayo all in the squad. Why go for a fourth unless Lennon was thinking of playing with two up top?
Then again, does that fourth striker need to be a declining Adebayor? Even if he wouldn’t cost much in transfer fees, he’s likely to be one that commands a high wage. Whilst in the Premier League, Adebayor managed to rake in a reported £160k-per-week (The Mirror).
Celtic simply don’t need Emmanuel Adebayor
It’s difficult seeing a player go from that kind of money to the cash Celtic can offer him in their current wage structure. The club, also, won’t want to break that for anyone, and Adebayor is no exception.
You also only have to look at his last spell in Britain as to how he’s declined too. He managed a season at Crystal Palace where he made just 15 appearances and notched only one goal for the Eagles. That came all the way back in the season 2015-16. So considering we would be signing him around four years later, it’s difficult to see this working out.
He isn’t a necessity, as we already have plenty of experience in the team as it stands. Instead, Celtic could much rather do with going for a young forward keen to learn. They don’t come cheap, but neither does the likes of Adebayor.
This isn’t the same player that played for Arsenal, Spurs, Real Madrid, and Man City. This is a forward who has declined too much with age to even consider. He hasn’t done enough over the last three years in Turkey to dismiss that idea either.
It seems like an expensive risk given the wages he’s likely to try and command. It’s the kind of signing Celtic have looked to avoid in recent years, and it would be a shame to start trying it again after the departure of Brendan Rodgers.
As it stands, Adebayor should be a no-go. Hopefully, however, the board aren’t even considering it.
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