Spurs boss claims Adebayor exiled himself from the squad

Emmanuel Adebayor is still a Spurs player after turning down several deadline day deals that would have taken him to Aston Villa or West Ham United, but it's not for lack of trying by Tottenham Hotspur. Manager Mauricio Pochettino opened up about the exiled Spurs striker in recent comments to the media, saying that the club was right to freeze him out after he repeatedly rejected opportunities to transfer to another club.

"I was clear with him, the decision was very clear and to retract it now would not be right. It's about making the right decision for the team and the right decision for the club. This is the decision.

I don't know if he wants to play or not. Maybe this is a question for him. I was always clear with him. I told him four months ago (that he is no longer in my plans)...

... We gave him the opportunity to train at a different time. But he, like another player, decided to train with the Under-21s. I cross with him and my staff have crossed with him in the corridor and the restaurant. It is not a problem."

This is an unpopular opinion with many, but I still don't have a problem with Adebayor holding out for a move that would preserve his (high) salary for as long as possible. Professional football careers are short. Get paid, Ade. However, if what Pochettino is saying is accurate, then Ade's refusal to move starts to ring a little hollow, even for me. Training with the U21s over the first team squad is a small thing, but refusing even that olive branch suggests that Ade probably had no intention of trying to negotiate his place in the squad back in good faith, even if there were a chance that it would happen.

Ade's a guy who has been through a lot in his short life, and despite his reputation and apparent aloofness, I still like him and have a lot of time for him. That said, from a club perspective his refusal on religious grounds to move to Aston Villa this summer, combined with the fact that his Spurs contract expires next summer, continues to be bizarre and seemingly counter to his own interests.

For their part, Spurs seems to be sticking to their guns and the odds are exactly zero that we'll ever see Emmanuel Adebayor suit up for a first team match for Tottenham Hotspur ever again. And with Ade not getting any younger, who knows whether or not he'll ever play for another major club. It's possibly a depressing end to what was a very promising career.