Adebayor to Villa loan deal slowed by wage demands

Are you wondering what's going on with the loan of Emmanuel Adebayor to Aston Villa? So are we. I'll be honest -- I pre-wrote the loan announcement a week ago and am still waiting for either Villa or Tottenham to announce that the deal is official.

So what's the hold-up? The Birmingham Mail has maybe shed some light on it. According to the Mail, Ade has already passed a medical at Villa (as this photo from Bodymoor Heath suggests) but the deal is being held up over details about Adebayor's salary with regards to a permanent deal with Villa after the loan concludes and his contract with Tottenham Hotspur expires.

Adebayor is a savvy businessman, and I don't mean that as an insult. He's a lot like Daniel Levy in that regard: he likely recognizes that he no longer has a future with Tottenham, but if he's going to make a move to another club he's sure as hell going to make sure that looks out for himself in that deal. If that means torpedoing a loan deal to Villa over wages when he already knows he's getting £100k/week at Spurs for not playing football, well, then that's the price of business.

I don't mean that as a negative. It's a shrewd business move, and at a certain level I admire it. Life is short, a footballing career is even shorter. Get paid, Ade. You don't owe Tottenham Hotspur anything.

I still have hopes that this loan deal with Villa will work itself out in the end. After all, Ade's no longer a spring chicken, and not playing football for a year won't do wonders for his chances of securing a plum deal at a new club when his Spurs contract expires. However, even I can't fault him for trying to get the best deal possible for himself.

On a personal note I'd love to see him and his crazy salary off Spurs' books -- partly because it will free up tons of wages for future signings and partially because I already have a "gentleman's agreement" with Robert from 7500 to Holte for a Adebayor-centric silly wager this season, but eventually Ade is leaving the club, whether it be by sale, loan, or free transfer. In the end it'll come down to what Ade thinks is best for him, and that's totally fair.