Former Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor has revealed that he was forced to leave the club in 2009. According to Adebayor, then-manager Arsene Wenger wanted him to depart, and the club even blocked him from visiting the training center.
Adebayor explained that after recovering from a hamstring injury, he was pushed out of the club and a narrative was created that he left for money. He mentioned that he could have gone to clubs like Barcelona, AC Milan, or Inter Milan but chose to stay at Arsenal, only to be told to leave a year later.
He shared his perspective on the situation: “I was having a great season, and I got injured, and the manager told me I had to leave. They twisted the story in front of the world, saying that I left the club for money. But that’s not the truth because then I could’ve gone to Barcelona, AC Milan, Inter Milan, but I refused all the offers to stay in Arsenal. Then a year later, I got injured in a game against Spurs, I pulled my hamstring, and I had a difficult season.”
Adebayor ultimately made a late move to Manchester City in January 2009, and in a memorable encounter against Arsenal, he scored the winner in a 2-1 victory for City. His celebratory run the length of the pitch to celebrate in front of the Arsenal fans has become a defining moment in discussions about Adebayor and Arsenal.
