Official: Adebayor signed for City (Updated)

Manchester City clinched the most spectacular signing of the summer so far when Emmanuel Adebayor headed north last night to complete a £25million move from Arsenal.

The arrival of Adebayor made up for an embarrassing 2-0 defeat against South African side Orlando Pirates as City’s Abu Dhabi owners flexed their financial muscles once again.

City have now spent £130m in transfer fees alone during 2009 and manager Mark Hughes will be heartened by the news that defensive target Joleon Lescott has told Everton boss David Moyes he wants to speak to them about a move to Eastlands.

Adebayor travelled to Manchester yesterday for a medical after a nervy 24 hours in which City feared the striker was hankering after a move to Chelsea.

But the Togo striker’s decision to join on wages of around £170,000 a week proves the club are deadly serious about breaking into the top four next season.

Hughes confirmed: ‘Emmanuel has shown his quality over many years. He is a proven scorer in the Premier League and for us it’s all about having different options and carrying a goal threat, whoever we play. We have to get all our players to the right level so that in any given game we have the right combinations.’

Having added Adebayor to three other attacking players signed in this transfer window – Carlos Tevez, Gareth Barry and Roque Santa Cruz – Hughes will now turn his attention to defence.

City hope Adebayor may join them later in the tour and Hughes plans to play Tevez and Barry in the next game in Durban on Tuesday.
They only arrived on Friday after a frantic promotional visit to Abu Dhabi.
Hughes said: ‘We are professionals and football is our business. So it’s exciting to see what lies ahead.’