If Adebayor does indeed have a Tottenham future, what is it?

What happens to Emmanuel Adebayor at Tottenham, like the man himself, is a bit of a mystery.

The Togolese’s campaign has been a curious one having failed to kick on from saving the club’s season last term, scoring just twice in ten all-competition appearances under Mauricio Pochettino.

Combine that with a leave of absence, granted by the Argentine boss for personal reasons, and an injury layoff that the beanpole front man is just now recovering from, it is easy to see why Adebayor’s name is among the more prominent linked with a move away from White Hart Lane this January.

According to Pochettino though, the former Arsenal striker won’t be going anywhere during the winter transfer window and insists the 30-year-old has a future with the 13/2 top-four candidates.

If that is the case, and the rumoured interest in Parma for the man who lists Monaco and Real Madrid among his previous employers is rebuffed, then what exactly will Adebayor’s role be?

He won’t get a crack at starting a Premier League game for a while, with Harry Kane firmly installed as the top-dog in that department, thanks to a PFA Young Player of the Year-worthy campaign.

That leaves the cup competitions, in which Spurs still contest three, where the 63-cap international holds a reasonable chance of receiving some game time, although even then he is battling Roberto Soldado for the starting honour.

There’s an argument that Soldado brings more to the side when he plays, with his superior ability to link the play bringing teammates into the game more often, although the defence that he simply needs a goal to ignite his confidence wears thinner with every missed chance.

What’s more, Adebayor has never been the kind of placid team man to spend an extended stint on the sidelines quietly, leaving Pochettino’s ideal of a future with the striker in it a flawed one.

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