Emmanuel Adebayor has taken a parting shot at Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger by insisting the club's trophy drought was behind his decision to join Manchester City.
The 25-year-old has sealed a £25million, four-year deal worth £150,000 a week - a salary that nearly doubles his previous contract at Emirates Stadium.
But as City continue to build a squad capable of challenging for major honours, Adebayor revealed the Gunners' failure to win any silverware since the FA Cup win in 2005 had prompted him to join Mark Hughes' revolution.
He said: "People who think that I have joined City for the money are wrong. If I had made a move for that reason then I would have been playing for Barcelona or Milan last season.
"I want to win silverware and trophies. That is my ambition. The team has quality and a manager who knows what he wants."
Wenger decided to sell Adebayor after losing patience with the striker's attitude and disruptive influence in the dressing room.
A section of supporters were also critical of Adebayor for flirting with a move to AC Milan or Barcelona last summer and his seemingly poor work rate in several matches last season.
Wenger is expected to step up his search for a replacement this week with Bordeaux forward Marouane Chamakh top of a list that includes Klaas Jan Huntelaar of Real Madrid and Senegalese star Demba Ba.
Chamakh is keen on a move to Arsenal but has been offered a much improved contract by the Ligue 1 club.
Meanwhile, Wenger has admitted he feared Czech midfielder Tomas Rosicky's career was over during his 18 month absence with hamstring and knee problems.
Reader views (34)
i m in a state of dilema when i hear dat ade have left arsenal in search of silverware.....where was mancity few yrs bak....as money got injected into d club dat means dey will win silveware....ade should improve his own statistics dat money cannot buy silverware.......it requires hardwork and persevearence of all d players in d club.......but u r lazy....how will u understand it........how u can compare arsenal with mancity ade??now i guess arsenal will win from dis season as now d club is left wid honest and hardworking players.gudluk ade.......
Abhishek,INDIA
- Abhishek Dasgupta, Delhi,India
What is really going on at Arsenal presently? Mr Wenger is starting the last year of his contract and has not asked for or been offered a new one.
Sir Alex Ferguson has come out and said that he knows Arsene has no money to spend and that he faces a battle this year just to keep Arsenal in the top four.
Why was Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith kicked off the Board when her shares are crucial to any takeover and why has she not sold them so far?
When will a Newspaper tell me the real story of what is going on.If Arsenal get off to a bad start there is real trouble coming for sure at The Emirates.
- Harry Jones, Barnet
man adebayor is just stupid . he thinks he is going to get any trophy from man city. lets wait
- Shady Wine, kampala
It kills me when players who do nothing in big matches when they have a chance to win a cup or two spout off with this nonsense. Adebayor had chances to win cups at Arsenal last season, and absolutely did not show up. Against some of the lesser teams he did alright but vs. Man Utd and Chelsea, nothing.
- Greg, Santiago Chile
Ahoy
What about my lovely pose, ye Scurvy dogs! I'm setting sail for far flung lands in search of Booty & Pieces o' eight (£130,000 pw), Shiver me timbers!
I'll be in Davy Jones' Locker by the end of next season.
Arr!!!!!!
- Cap'N Adecashwhore, London UK
Cups at Citeh, the man is delusional.
- Leonard Lillywhites, N.London
Yeah, right.
- Kb, London
I'm no Arsenal fan, but getting £25 million for a lazy, negative player is good business.
- Dom, London
Welcome to Manchester Addy.. we'll love ya if ya score the goals, and ya dare to call us "bitter"..ooh err
- John, Manchester
Someone has asked when did Man City last win a trophy. I guess that was the League Cup in the 70's. The same question could have been asked of Blackburn before Jack Walker came along, and look what happened there.
My point is that until we're 8 - 10 games into the new season, not one person can have the faintest idea how good or bad Man City will do. Until then, everything said here about the supposed hypocrisy of Adebayor saying he wants to go there for medals but it's really for the money is rubbish. Let's face it, he hasn't won too many winners' medals at Arsenal for a few years back.
- Captain Black Of The Mysterons, London, England
If you want cups, go to British Home Stores.
- Paul H, London, UK
Captain Black - More like Flamini who played only half the games at AC & some of those at right-back - Senderos who hardly played at AC & is back & unwanted at Arsenal - Hleb who hardly played at Barca & will probably be moved on. Bentley who went to Blackburn & has been a disaster at Spurs. I could easily continue, but wont. Barca hardly got a bargain signing Henry for approx £16 million & giving a multi-million pound contract to a player who is often unavailable due to injury. Small wager on offer that Adebyor never wins anything at Man City, throws a tantrum next summer & doesnt fullfill his 5 year contract. You only have to look at his behaviour with Togo.
- Rob Goooner, North London
The problem is that every year Arsenal lose their better players. I think he was rubbish last year but still better than any forward that is left there now. Now all Wenger will do is give the £25 million to the board and tell us how he is going to spend- like every year- but not actually do it. You can see the front two next year being Martins and RVP . then six games in, Percy will break down and that will be it. Why o why wont Wenger do what every Arsenal fan wants and buy decent, class players. They cost but so what.
- Spider, essex uk
Who is next to leave, justifiably, in search of Silverware?
Fabregas?
We'll not win anything with Wenger in charge.
- St, London
In the interview with Sky he said Arsenal needed the money. I was miffed to say the least when I heard that. Perhaps trying to say that he has done Arsenal a favour with the price tag? He also said that he had received the 'blessing' of Arsene to join City and that he is now with a manager who knows what he wants, tell you millions about Ade. I feel sorry for him because as one contributor said, he was better with his mouth shut. I hope what he said does not come to haunt him. I don't think he really cares because he probably will not remember making those statements because he hasn't thought about them. Good luck to you Ade.
- Jayt, Watford, UK
Rob, do you mean the likes of Thierry Henri at Barca who has now won the Champions' League, old cock?
- Captain Black Of The Mysterons, London, England
Man city may have the most costly players but can they play together to form a team i dont think so as there is to meny premadonnas for them to gel together so nothing this season for CITY
- Terry Chambers, London
Most Arsenal fans are happy to his back. There is only one reason why he left for ManCity and that is big time MONEY. But can you blame him for accepting £130k a week wages. Who wouldn't? There are few loyal footballers left in football and Adebayor is a modern day footballer whose only reason for playing is money not the passion for the game. If government continues to ignore the recklessness of Clubs such as Real Madrid and Man City, I am afraid we going to see 'Financial Crisis' in football industry. What are the basis for footballers valuation? There is no mechanism behind it, just some Rouge Agents coming up with silly figures so they can receive percentage of the transfer fee. Adebayor can not drible past two defenders on his own and yet was bought for £25m. Good for Arsenal Club of course - The most sensible Football Club in the World.
- Aj Yusuf, Guernsey, Channel Islands
This idiot looks more intelligent with his mouth closed.He represents everything people dislike about morden footballers.
The only people that think that he worths £170,000 a week are Man city. He actaully earns more than Henry, Messi, Kaka and the rest. Isn't that something else?
- Charles, London
To all the bitter Gooners on here... I don't like Adebayor a great deal and I don't support Citeh or any of the new "top 5" but with their money, this season or next they will be ahead of Arsenal. Arsenal show no sign of spending the stupid money necessary to challenge for the title. That's what he means. Just because he's greedy and a sounds a bit thick doesn't mean he's wrong about that.
- S T G, London
The only reason the likes of Adebayor, Tevez and co are joining Manchester City is for the money and whilst it is human nature to want to earn more, let no one kid themselves that running out in the sky blue colours has anything to do with winning trophies.
There will be no silverware on that side of the Manchester divide this season, next season or any season if at all. Manchester City couldn't win a raffle let alone anything significant. John Terry take note!
- James, Pinner
'I want cups, not, money' proof positive that the guy is either a total liar, or, mad!
- Kevin Sullivan, Roehampton, London.
Money grabbing AS'HO - How can he even use the excuse of Arsenal not getting and silver ware? When did Man City win anything and did he not also help Arsenal wing Nothing?
- Tweed, London
You are right Adebayor,lack of cups at Arsenal.
To start with you were one of the main reasons,failing to score easy goals, lack of entusiasm,lazy and slow.
Good luck Adebayor, probably the cups will come now at Arsenal.
A.Messina
- A.Messina, Malta
On the financial front Adebayor's representatives appear to have got him a very good deal. We would all like to double our income overnight wouldn't we! Arsenal have also gained from this deal financially it seems.
The future will tell how good a player Adebayor is and it will also show how genuine are the reasons he gave for joining Manchester City.
One thing that bothers me is the Mark Hughes connection. If ever a player caused Arsenal a problem it was Mark Hughes. Is he going to do the same as a Manager, well he has not done so badly thus far.
I am an admirer of the Arsene Wenger philosophy. It appears to be right for Arsenal and right for football in general. I would rather have a financially sound club playing in the Premiership and Europe, than a bankrupt one heading for the Championship.
- Pedro, Dubai UAE
lmao, he should have go join barcelona last season. Since Barcelona won a treble, he can get the many cups he wants. why moves only when it is citeh offering even larger sum of money while citeh can only challenge top four or not at all.
- Ng Zhenyu, singapore
If he kept his mouth shut then Adebayor wouldn't be viewed as an even bigger idiot than he really is. If he left to win cups then surely Barcelona would have been a better choice than Man City! Also Adebaor should realise that he was one of the main reasons that Arsenal did not win anything last year. His attitude was appalling. Presumably he will be leaving Man City if they do not win anything next year!!
- Tony, greater london uk
Lol if he wants cups he is lying city wont win any cups espcialy when they loose to a team called pirates lol
- Gonzo, manchester england
Adebayor needs to look at himself for the real reasons why he has not been winning any cups. He has played a major integral role as a player in Arsenal's recent failure to make that final push. When the going got tough, Adebayor tended to be gone - missing!
- Shooy, London UK
Mr Olley - when you say "A section of supporters were also critical of Adebayor", did you mean 99% of all Arsenal fans?!
I have never encountered an Arsenal player (including Cashley Cole), that has ever been loathed as much as Mr.Adepaymemore by Arsenal fans.
He can score goals - but he is also a bad-egg.
I am very, very relieved that he has gone.
- The Righteous Man, Sevenoaks
Mr wenger knows that he dont need chamak.bedner is better player then chamak so why wil he buy chamak,he needs to buy some one whoe can ad some thing to the team AND AM AFREID THERE IS NOT A LOT OF CHOICE, MOST OF THAT I CAN THINK OBAFAMI MARTINZ,KLAAS JAN HUNTELAAR.
- Mohamed Ali, rotterdam NL
Reading this piece makes me wonder what Ade thinks of those who hear him or if he really thinks before he speaks "People who think that I have joined City for the money are wrong. If I had made a move for that reason then I would have been playing for Barcelona or Milan last season. Perhaps he needs to be reminded that Barcelona won trophies last season and Milan also did well without him.
Again when he says "I want to win silverware and trophies. That is my ambition. The team has quality and a manager who knows what he wants." It makes one wonder what he is thinking- he must be drunk with petrol dollars. Is he saying that Arsenal hasn't got quality and Wenger does not know what he wants and also ManCity will win trophies? Well, only time will tell. The more intelligent people will ignore him - I think most Arsenal fans are. I ignore him and also wish him well with his new club.
- Jayt, Watford, UK
Although Man City now have funds, I cant seem to recall the last time they actually won a trophy. I will not miss Adebayor who was poor last season & will be easily replaced by the fast improving Bentner or indeed any replacement found by Arsene Wenger. He will surely join a long list of players who leave Arsenal, only to find the grass isnt greener elsewhere.
- Rob Gooner, North London
When ws the last time MC won a cup, or anything that matters!
- Silvio Bukbardis, brighton
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