Why it pays to stay put

Emmanuel Adebayor is in line for a £1.4million payment if he snubs a January move away from Tottenham. Even though he has been frozen out this season, the financial arrangements mean that he is likely to stay put.

Emmanuel Adebayor is in line for a £1.4million payment if he snubs a January move away from Tottenham. Even though he has been frozen out this season, the financial arrangements mean that he is likely to stay put.

The cash will actually end up in the player’s pocket via Adebayor’s old club Manchester City. When Adebayor moved from City to Tottenham last year, he had to take a notional pay cut. To unload him, City agreed to top up Adebayor’s salary to the £170,000-a-week wages he earned at Eastlands. Providing the player doesn’t move in January, Tottenham must pay City £1.4m as an installment of the £5m transfer fee. City will then have to pay Adebayor £1.4m in top-up wages to cover the rest of the season.

If the Togo international does move in January, it will save Spurs forking out the money. But it seems unlikely the 29-year-old will give up such a big payment, particularly as he would have to accept a dramatic wage cut at a new club.