Arsenal : Time To Let The Big Egos Go

Football is a strange game. One day you're a squad player at Monaco and the next a potential star at Arsenal. Then, you score thirty goals in a season and want triple your salary - otherwise, you say that you would leave Arsenal with clubs interested to pay 30 million pounds for your services.

Well, that was the shortest way of putting across Emmanuel Adebayor's story to anyone who doesn't know him.

Arsenal have been a selling club. We've sold (most notably) Thierry Henry when he was 30, Patrick Vieira when he was 30, Fredrik Ljungberg when he was 31 and recently lost (not sold) Mathieu Flamini, who was 23. I'm trying to pick out one player who has been successful after leaving Arsenal - a player who has even eclipsed his previous form at Arsenal and I have come up with...

Nobody.

Invariably, Arsenal sell players who are past their prime. Obviously, I'm not going to use Adebayor's example because like in life there are exceptions to the rules and Adebayor is just that. But, dangerous precedents are there for him to see. Nicolas Anelka was brain washed by his agents and was made to leave Arsenal after just two good seasons and his career has been all over the place. Adebayor seems hell-bent on following "Le Sulk" out of Arsenal.

Arsenal should grant his wish to leave. I'm not saying this because I'm fed up. I'm saying this because Adebayor has a massive ego which will hurt the club in the long run.

Arsenal are not embarrassed to not sell Adebayor - Arsene Wenger wants to know how far Barcelona will bid for his Togolese striker and if reports are to be believed, Joan Laporta's Barcelona are being robbed - bidding 30 million pounds for a one-season wonder is the most ridiculous thing that I've ever heard.

Arsene Wenger said at the end of last season that he thought at the beginning of the campaign Adebayor would score only half of what he scored (30 goals) and challenged him to show his consistency during the next season.

Adebayor has probably decided to turn his back on "Le Boss" as he now seeks to move away from The Emirates. But, unfortunately for him and Barcelona, its Arsenal who hold all the cards.

Adebayor has a four-year contract with Arsenal and he will not be doing himself any favours by publicly declaring his wish to leave again as there is still a chance that he would pull on the Arsenal shirt again next season. Maybe he should talk to Hleb about his Public Relations because as much as the Belorussian has irritated me, I'm not so sure that I want to see Adebayor at Arsenal next season.

It's time for Wenger to cash in on Adebayor because come next season, there is every possibility that "The Togonator" will not fire on all cylinders again which will lead to the reduction of his value, but not that of his ego.

Adebayor has to realize that he, like every footballer is replaceable. If he stays on next season, my fellow Arsenal fans will embrace him without a doubt, but will always have the farcical press conference he had a week ago in the back of their heads.

Football is no place for big egos and Arsenal are no different. If Wenger wants his team to dominate, we need more players like Cesc Fabregas, not Emmanuel Adebayor.