LONDON (AFP)
Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday announced that Togolese striker
Emmanuel Adebayor has returned to the club on a permanent basis
after signing from Manchester City.
Adebayor, 28, spent last season on loan at White Hart Lane from
City and scored 18 goals in 37 appearances to finish the campaign
as the London club's leading scorer.
Spurs did not reveal how much they had paid to secure Adebayor's
services but reports in the British media claimed the transfer
fee was £5 million ($7.9 million, 6.3 million euros).
"I am pleased to be signing for Spurs on a permanent basis after
finally agreeing my departure with Manchester City," Adebayor
told the club website.
"It may have taken longer than expected but I am delighted to be
back at Tottenham Hotspur. I really enjoyed my time here last
season and I am hoping we can achieve great things together
again."
Adebayor is new Tottenham coach Andre Villas-Boas' third summer
signing after Icelandic midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson joined from
German club Hoffenheim and Belgian centre-back Jan Vertonghen
arrived from Dutch giants Ajax.
Beaten 2-1 at Newcastle United in their opening game of the new
Premier League campaign, Spurs had started the 2012-13 season
with Jermain Defoe as their only recognised senior striker.
Russian international Roman Pavlyuchenko left to join Lokomotiv
Moscow in January, while experienced Frenchman Louis Saha was
released in June and has subsequently joined Sunderland.
Adebayor arrived in England in 2006, joining Spurs' arch rivals
Arsenal from Monaco and spending two and a half years with the
club before moving to City in 2009.
He also spent time on loan at Real Madrid in the second half of
the 2010-11 season.
