views
Manchester: Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor insists that he will wait for Real Madrid to come calling, until the last day of the current transfer window.
The Togolese forward spent the second half of last season on loan at Madrid, having had trouble making regular first-team appearances at Eastlands.
At the time, he was taken to the Bernabeu as a replacement for the injured Gonzalo Higuain, and he managed to make 22 appearances and score eight goals during his temporary stay in the Spanish capital.
The 27-year-old also won his only trophy to date, when Real beat Barcelona to win the Copa del Rey last season. And now he claims that coach Jose Mourinho promised to do whatever he can to take the hitman back to Madrid during the summer.
"I am waiting. I am clear about what I want. The only thing I have in my head is playing for Real Madrid," Adebayor told Spanish sports newspaper Marca.
"We have to wait. I’m clear that I want to play for Real Madrid and I will wait until the last day. I am not going to sign for any club until August 31. I will wait for them until the very last day, until 11:00 at night. If by then, Madrid have decided not to buy me, then I will look for another team.
"Mourinho told me he would do whatever he could for me to return. We had a good relationship and I believe he was happy with me. I believe I’m an option [for Madrid]. I honestly think I left a good taste in the mouth there. I arrived for six months and I gave everything for that white shirt. I integrated quickly, I played and I scored goals. I fulfilled in my work, although I have more to give."
The former Arsenal forward reiterated that he showcased only a fraction of what he is capable of during his time at the Bernabeu, insisting that a second coming would see him hit the ground running.
The 27-year-old had not played in Spain before his loan move, and he now believes that knowing Madrid and his potential team-mates would give him an edge over other forwards that the Spanish heavyweights may be considering.
"I believe I did well, but I’m a much better footballer than I showed," Adebayor added. "It’s not easy to adapt to such a big club as Real Madrid in such a short time and that took its toll. If I had a second opportunity I am sure I would do much better, because I know the club from within, the city, my team-mates…
"It’s everything to me [Madrid]. When I signed for Real Madrid I knew it was a big club, but only when you’re inside do you realise the magnitude of this team. Madrid is amazing, a dream. There can’t be anything greater in the life of a player. I fell in love with the club and its people as soon as I arrived and that’s why I want to carry on forming part of this family.
"It’s a special club and everybody opened their arms to me from the first day. The fans and my team-mates treated me wonderfully since the day I arrived and that warmth has made a madridista. Whatever happens, Real Madrid will always be in my heart."
Now Adebayor is prepared to do "whatever it takes" to carve out a move to Madrid, insisting that he would like to relive what he believes were some of the best days of his life.
"It bothers me to think I may never put on a Real Madrid shirt again," he said. "Madrid is the best thing that’s ever happened to me in my life. The six months I spent there were wonderful and my professional life would make no sense without Madrid.
"At Madrid they know exactly what I think and what I want but it’s not only in my hands and there’s little more I can say. But at Madrid they know I’m prepared to do whatever it takes to play there."
The ex-Monaco man also believes that City will not have any problem letting him leave, should Real come calling for his services.
Adebayor said: "At City they are very intelligent. They have a lot of strikers and due to circumstances, they don’t want me.
"Why wouldn’t they facilitate my departure? I don’t think there will be any problems in the end."
Neymar and Sergio Aguero have both been linked with a move to Real, and the former Togo international said: "[Neymar and Aguero] They are very good players, but I am going to wait until the end. I have a wonderful relationship with them [Madrid team-mates]."
Adebayor also sang in high praise of Mourinho, insisting that he is better than Didier Deschamps, Roberto Mancini and Arsene Wenger.
"With Mourinho I learned a lot," he said. 'Mou' is the best coach I have ever had. To give you an idea, I have worked with Wenger, Mancini, Deschamps, but Mourinho is different.
"He is a father to all of us. He trains us and takes care of us off the field. Very few coaches care about your personal life. As well as being the best coach, he is a friend you can go to if you have a problem."
Comments
0 comment