Is Arsenal's Emmanuel Adebayor on His Way Out to Manchester City?

(Photo by Jamie McDonald/Getty Images)

Manchester City has spent the bulk of the "silly season" linked to any and every footballer imaginable. With the signing of Carlos Tevez in the bag, their next move may be for Arsenal's Emmanuel Adebayor.

With a price tag of £25 million reportedly agreed upon, it would be a healthy profit for the North London club that acquired the Togolese striker for a sum just south of £6 million in 2006.

Surely that is good business, but what will it mean on the pitch?

Adebayor, for all his migraine-inducing antics, has provided a healthy sum of 46 goals in the past two seasons. His departure would certainly be a concern to some Arsenal fans as much as it would be for a joy for others to see him walk away.

Any moves Arsene Wenger made after this hypothetical sale would dictate the success of Adebayor's move.

To simply pocket the cash and not bring in any other players would certainly be a grave error.

To bring in a striker on the cheap, such as Marouane Chamakh from Bordeaux, would be a start.

To acquire that same cheap striker and also add a holding midfielder with bite, would tip the scales of this move in Arsenal's favor

Replacing Adebayor's goals won't be a problem. With the re-signing of Robin Van Persie, a full season of Andrey Arshavin, not to mention Eduardo and Nicklas Bendtner, there is no doubt that Wenger can coax goals out of that group.

Throwing in a unknown quantity like Chamakh could be a bit questionable, but who in their right mind can challenge Arsene Wenger and his knowledge of the French league?

A simple glance at his track record indicates he knows what he is doing when it comes to French footballers.

The bigger question would be who Arsenal would get with that money to play alongside Cesc Fabregas.

With Alex Song and Denilson not looking up to snuff quite yet, a talented and proven midfielder is a necessity in order for this team to challenge for the title this season.

They've been linked with Felipe Melo already, but he found his way to Juventus, opting to remain in Serie A.

Other names include obscure Frenchman Blaise Matuidi of AS Saint-Etienne. If he remains the only name linked for a move to North London, Arsenal fans might be up in arms.

Depending on how the Adebayor saga plays out, it's clear that the giant Togo striker no longer wants to call Arsenal his home club—whether it's for the lure of Milan or the millions of Manchester City.

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