City bid Ade to Arsenal for Van Persie

Manchester City are ready to clear a stumbling block that prevents Robin van Persie from joining them by selling Emmanuel Adebayor to Tottenham for £5 million.

Spurs are prepared to pay nearly all of Adebayor’s £170,000-a-week wages and aim to do the deal this week, according to The Sun.

City believe the transfer would be a major step towards landing Arsenal’s skipper, as the Dutchman is reportedly not on speaking terms with the Togo star.

The pair clashed in September 2009 when Adebayor, having just signed for City, raked his studs across Van Persie’s face and then stamped on Cesc Fabregas during an explosive game.

Van Persie released a statement condemning a ‘mindless and malicious stamp’ and the pair have been at war ever since.
 
City are aware of the situation and know they must move Adebayor on, though they feared Spurs would struggle to meet the player’s huge wages.
 
Van Persie, who insists he does not want to sign a new Emirates contract, is understood to be keen on a move to the Etihad. But City boss Roberto Mancini is aware there is no way Van Persie will go near the club if Adebayor remains.

He has two years left on his current deal but Spurs  pushing out the boat for new boss Andre Villas-Boas.
 
Adebayor scored 18 goals during his loan at White Hart Lane last season and is keen to stay.

City are ready to make a £15m initial offer for Van Persie, though last season’s 37-goal ace is still likely to be an Arsenal player when the two teams meet in a Beijing friendly on July 27.

Apart from City, the only clubs to show a firm interest in the player are Manchester United and Juventus.

City, who do not want to pay more than £20m, are also willing to offer striker Edin Dzeko in a player-plus-cash deal.
 
Former Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein insists the Van Persie situation will drag on.
 
He said: “I think he will be there for the start of training. What happens after that remains to be seen.
 
“Once a player comes out and says what he did in his recent article, it is normally the prelude to a departure. But there is no doubt Arsenal will do everything they can to try to keep him and make sure he sees out his last year.”
 

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