Emmanuel Adebayor set for Tottenham switch as Fernando Llorente close to Premier League move
Fernando Llorente could join one of two Premier League suitors — one from Manchester and one from London — as it emerged Emmanuel Adebayor is set to quit Emirates Marketing Project for Tottenham Hotspur this week.
Spurs and City had previously broken off talks over Adebayor, who scored 17 goals while on loan at White Hart Lane last season, since his wage demands exceed the London club’s budget.
However it appears City are now willing to make a significant one-off contribution to compensate for the reduction in Adebayor’s future salary if Spurs meet the Premier League champions’ transfer-fee valuation.
Meanwhile Llorente, the Spain international forward, looks certain to quit Athletic Bilbao this summer and has received a number of offers from across Europe. However his agent, Carlos Arino Bajo, told the Daily Telegraph yesterday it is “very, very possible” the striker will be on his way to England.
"Tomorrow [Wednesday] Llorente will speak to his destination,” Arino Bajo told Telegraph Sport. “It is very, very possible he will decide to go to the Premier League. I don’t know the [choice of] club at the moment
but there are two [interested] clubs. One is in London, and one is in Manchester.”
Arino Bajo refused to identify which clubs have made contact with the player. However it is clear there are other interested parties: the agent had previously confirmed to the Italian daily Corriere dello Sport that Juventus were among those to have made a play for Llorente.
Intriguingly none of the London or Manchester clubs would disclose an interest on Monday. It is possible that if any do covet the forward they would prefer to maintain a public silence until they are aware of his intentions.
Much-flouted transfer regulations stipulate that clubs must first reach agreement with existing employers before approaching the player himself. That first regulatory hurdle is unlikely to have been cleared so far: Bilbao have until now responded to any approaches by stressing that there is a €36 million buy-out clause in his contract.
However, as the transfer window advances towards closure it is likely English clubs have calculated that Bilbao’s negotiating position may weaken considerably amid an unfolding Spanish financial crisis.
With Manchester United having already enlisted Robin van Persie without yet dispatching Dimitar Berbatov, the recruitment of a sixth striker at Old Trafford would appear unlikely. Emirates Marketing Project seem similarly well stocked for strikers but might perhaps re-enter the transfer market when the protracted Adebayor negotiations are concluded.
Even if he secures Adebayor’s permanent transfer, Andre Villas-Boas would still have only the Togolese and Jermain Defoe for senior strikers, and Llorente might subsequently emerge as a target if he remains available until August 31.
Arsenal have long insisted that Van Persie’s replacements have already been taken on, with Olivier Giroud and Lukas Podolski having arrived this summer. Arsène Wenger made plain that any future transfer business will surround midfield or defensive players, but if Nicklas Bendtner and Marouane Chamakh are both permitted to depart the Emirates Stadium it might alter that view.
Chelsea would for now seem Llorente’s likeliest destination in the capital, given that the departures of Nicolas Anelka and Didier Drogba have left the European champions with only Daniel Sturridge and Llorente’s Spain-international colleague Fernando Torres as recognised senior forwards.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...do-Llorente-close-to-Premier-League-move.html
