Palace net free agent Adebayor

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Togo striker will want to punish Spurs

Adebayor has signed initially until the end of the season
Adebayor has signed initially until the end of the season

Emmanuel Adebayor has joined his fourth Premier League team after signing for Crystal Palace, the club said on Tuesday.
Crystal Palace have taken out-of-contract former Spurs, Man City and Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor on a free transfer to bolster their bid for European football next season.
Adebayor, 31, a free agent since being released by Spurs in the summer, has signed until the end of the season. The Togolese forward may feel he has a point to prove to the North Londoners, who, if they ultimately miss out on Europe and Palace qualify with Adebayor’s help, may rue leaving him out in the cold.
Palace chairman Steve Parish expressed his joy at the deal, posting on Twitter: “Real pleasure to welcome @e_adebayor to #cpfc”.
Adebayor scored on his debut for each of the Premier League teams he has played for, as well as for Real Madrid and Monaco in a 15-year career that has taken in six clubs in three countries.
Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew acknowledged that the club were interested in Adebayor following their 3-1 defeat to Spurs on Saturday and said he had no doubt he could deal with the player, who has fallen out with previous managers.
Adebayor has scored 96 times in 230 league games in England, eight behind Ivory Coast’s former Chelsea hero Didier Drogba, who is the Premier League’s leading African goalscorer.
He joined Arsenal in January 2006 from French club Monaco for a fee of around £7 million. He moved to Manchester City for almost three times that figure in July 2009, but was loaned to Real Madrid 18 months later.
When the loan period expired in the summer of 2011 Adebayor joined Tottenham, initially also on loan before the switch was made permanent in August 2012 for a fee of about £4.5 million. However, having fallen out of favour at White Hart Lane, Spurs agreed to release him from his contract last September but have continued to pay his wages, reported to be around £100,000 a week.
He has been training alone in an attempt to stay fit and Palace made their move after suffering a slump in form and injuries to key players — in particular, Yannick Bolasie, who is still out after suffering a leg injury before Christmas.
Palace announced Adebayor’s signing on their website (www.cpfc.co.uk) and said the player would wear the number 25 shirt.