Emmanuel Adebayor Named as Shock Target for Newcastle, Aston Villa & Brighton
Emmanuel Adebayor could be set for a sensational return to the Premier League, with Newcastle, Aston Villa, Newcastle and Brighton all reportedly interested in striking a deal.
The 35-year-old, now a free agent having left Turkish side Kayserispor last month, is on the lookout for a new club and apparently wants to secure a return to England's top flight.
The Togo striker is no stranger to the Premier League, having already represented Arsenal, arch-rivals Spurs, Manchester City, and most recently Crystal Palace.
In his 12 appearances for the Eagles in 2016, he found the net just once - but a move back to the Premier League is what Adebayor wants, and The Sun claim that Newcastle, Villa and Brighton could offer him a way back.
Adebayor's reasons for wanting a return to the Premier League have been 'revealed' to the tabloid, with a source close to the player saying: "He has 97 goals and is keen to reach 100 Premier League goals.
"He also wants to pass his close friend Didier Drogba's record of 104 goals in the Premier League to become the all-time top African scorer in the Premier League."
Adebayor scored 46 times for Arsenal over three seasons, before netting 15 times in 34 appearances for Manchester City after moving to the Etihad for £25m. A further 35 goals scored at Spurs, spread over two separate spells, followed, but his stint at Palace was unsuccessful.
He also enjoyed a short spell at European giants Real Madrid, but again struggled to make much of an impact at the Santiago Bernabeu, before finding his feet again in Turkey.
Were he to join Newcastle, he'd arrive at St James' Park amid talk of a potential £340m takeover by a consortium funded by the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia.
Mike Ashley is thought to have held discussions with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, in a deal being brokered by Amanda Staveley, who once fronted her own takeover bid of the club. However, there is more than one interested party - meaning any deal is far from certain.
Villa, meanwhile, are attempting to stave off relegation, while Brighton are quietly going about their business under Graham Potter; reinventing their playing style under the former Ostersunds boss after scraping survival last season.