Real Madrid's two-goal hero Emmanuel Adebayor has hinted at an immediate return to England when his loan stint in Spain ends this summer, with Newcastle the latest club to be linked to the Manchester City star.
Adebayor - who is said to be being lined up as a like-for-like replacement for Andy Carroll - struck twice as Real all but ended Spurs' European adventure with a 4-0 win at the Bernabeu.
But the former Togo captain has hinted he is still keen to return to English football, even after experiencing the 'love' of the Madrid public.
'I have been playing in England for five years, I had the chance to play in France for a couple of years, so it is a good time for me to play in Spain,' he said.
'If I have the chance to go back to England one day, why not? I will never throw England away. I love the football, I love the atmosphere.
'But don't get me wrong, I am very happy where I am, the future will show where I go but for now I am just happy to be on the football pitch again, playing football.
'That is all that matters now. We will talk in the summer about what I am going to do about my career.'
After scoring his Champions League brace, just one day after talking up his chances of doing so by declaring his ongoing - albeit one-sided - admiration for Arsenal's fans, Adebayor said his feat had been predicted by manager Jose Mourinho late last week.
'I just seem to love playing against Spurs,' the striker said.
'Jose came to me a few days ago and asked me how many times I had scored against them before and I could not remember.
'He said he would play me and said, "maybe you will score against them again". He was right.'
I won't give up Manchester City fight, says Shaun Wright-Phillips
Shaun Wright-Phillips has declared “I’m a Blue, and I want to stay at City.”
The popular little winger has had a difficult season, reduced to the fringes of the first team and seeing his England chances restricted by his club inactivity.
And, after he was made available during the January transfer window after putting in a transfer request, nobody met the £4m asking price despite strong interest from Fulham and Bolton.
The transfer request, and City’s willingness to let him go, seemed to herald the beginning of the end for Wright-Phillips’ love affair with the City fans, and it still seems likely he will move on in the summer.
The four-year contract he signed when he rejoined City from Chelsea in August, 2008 – just days ahead of Sheikh Mansour’s purchase of the club – has one more year to run.
And that is likely to mean Fulham and Bolton will be back in, hoping to pick up the 36-cap England man at a bargain price, although other Premier League clubs are sure to be interested.
But Wright-Phillips insists he has no desire to go anywhere else, although he will certainly leave in a bid to play more football.
“I never wanted to leave in the first place,” said 29-year-old Wright-Phillips, who reminded Eastlands of his talent with a perky appearance as a substitute in the 5-0 rout of Sunderland on Sunday.
“I handed in the transfer request solely because I wanted to play football, and for no other reason. It wasn’t because I actually wanted to leave.”
But all thoughts of what will happen in the summer have been put on hold, as Wright-Phillips says he is focused on playing his part in City’s last push for a Champions League spot and bid for the FA Cup.
“I love the game, and I wasn’t getting to play, but I am just getting on with it now,” he said.
“Whatever happens will happen but I don’t want to go anywhere.
“My mood never really changes, which I find strange, but it’s something I get on with as I love being around the club.
Experience
“I am a Blues fan these days as well as a player so any part I can play, I’m delighted to have the opportunity to do that.
“I am not the type of person who gives up. The fight doesn’t bother me, so I just train hard and get on with it.
“They say the cream always rises so let’s hope it does in this case.”
City now have seven league games to go, plus that FA Cup semi-final clash with United a week on Saturday.
Tiredness seemed to be taking its toll before the recent international break, as City’s title challenge flagged badly and they went from sparring with United at the top to looking over their shoulders at Tottenham’s surge towards fourth place.
But Wright-Phillips says there can be no excuses, even if City have chalked up 50 games already, a schedule only matched by Arsenal.
“Our squad is that big we can afford to rotate,” he said. “We would never use that as an excuse and everyone has now had a break. We shouldn’t be tired and need to get on with it and play the way we know how.
“I don’t know whether the break has given us second wind. The second wind comes from the determination about where you want to be.
“A lot can happen in these last eight or nine games and it could all change dramatically, so the drive to be high up will give us that a second wind and that push.
“With the bond we have as a team and as a group of players, we believe we can take City to the next level, but on the day it’s about performing the way you are capable of doing.
“If it goes to plan we can pull it off.”
Wright-Phillips also says that City’s players, several of whom have never experienced such a frequency and intensity of games in a Premier League season before, have developed their own ways of coping.
“The manager is doing what he does best and the players are learning in training to condition themselves so they don’t do 100 to 110 per cent because obviously they will burn out,” he said.
“We are experienced in that department, and know when to take our foot off the gas in training and get through the session, keep the ball and maybe the next day step it up again.”
WAG OF THE DAY
OTHER BOLLOX
Chelsea target Neymar has opened the door for a £30m move from Santos to Barcelona by saying he wants to play alongside Lionel Messi in the Catalan club's attack. the Sun
Liverpool and Everton are set for a Merseyside transfer tussle over Sevilla winger Diego Perotti this summer. talkSPORT
Benfica midfielder Nicolas Gaitan has caught the eye of Liverpool scouts, who are now monitoring the 23-year-old Argentine international. Daily Mirror
Real Madrid have opened the door for midfielder Pablo Sarabia to leave on loan in the summer and Bolton are understood to be keen on doing a deal. talkSPORT
Real Madrid are believed to be monitoring Marouane Fellaini's contract talks with Everton and could launch a bid for the midfielder in the summer if the deal collapses. Metro
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will sign Charlton's young left-back Carl Jenkinson. Arsenal will pay a fee that will rise to over £1m for the teenager, who has played a handful of first team games for the Addicks but is out of contract at the end of the season. Daily Mirror
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson will test Tottenham's resolve by making a £35m offer for winger Gareth Bale this summer. caughtoffside.com
Manchester United have been told that bidding for Borussia Dortmund midfielder Mario Gotze would be "a waste of time". talkSPORT
Chelsea are considering a move to re-sign Arjen Robben, who may be seeking a move in the summer if current club Bayern Munich do not qualify for the Champions League. Bayern currently occupy the final automatic spot for qualification to Europe's premier club competition but are only a point ahead of Hannover 96. caughtoffside.com
AZ Alkmaar striker Kolbeinn Sigthorsson is the subject of a four-way Premier League chase with Bolton, Sunderland, West Ham and Everton all lining up bids for the prolific Iceland international. talkSPORT
Newcastle are ready to raid Malaga for star striker Jose Salomon Rondon - if the Spanish side are relegated from La Liga talkSPORT
West Ham are lining up a surprise £1.5m bid for Chelsea midfielder Jack Cork, who is currently on loan at Burnley. Daily Mirror
Blackpool manager Ian Holloway says the club will only sell midfielder Charlie Adam for "daft" money and has quoted a figure of nearly £35m. Daily Mirror
Striker Fabio Borini is seeking urgent talks with Chelsea as he weighs up interest from Parma and Swansea. The Italy Under-21 striker's contract expires at the end of the season. Daily Mail
Defender John Pantsil is set to leave Fulham at the end of the season after falling out of favour with manager Mark Hughes. Daily Mail
Nottingham Forest will revive their interest in Fulham midfielder Jonathan Greening this summer. The former Manchester United midfielder's deal at Fulham expires in 2012 and Forest boss Billy Davies hopes to sign him on the cheap. talkSPORT
West Ham manager Avram Grant is close to a sensational return to Chelsea. The Blues want the Israeli, who was in charge three seasons ago when Chelsea lost in the Champions League final to Manchester United, to succeed director of football Frank Arnesen. Daily Express
Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann has filed a lawsuit demanding compensation from Werder Bremen keeper Tim Wiese for claiming the 41-year-old belonged in the Muppet Show and suggesting he had mental health problems. Metro
Under-pressure Aston Villa manager Gerard Houllier has surprisingly turned to former West Ham, Watford and Norwich boss Glenn Roeder to help the Midlands side beat the drop. Daily Mirror
Roma are ready to battle Arsenal and Manchester United for the services of Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola. The Spaniard conceded this week that he would be interested in a move to England when his Barca contract expires next season. Daily Mirror
Liverpool owner John W Henry claims he was shocked by how poor the playing squad was when he bought the Reds in 2010. "There was a huge multi-year payroll for a squad that had very little quality depth," said the American, who heads Liverpool owners New England Sports Ventures. Daily Mirror
Henry also said his ownership of Liverpool will only be deemed successful if the club win the Premier League. "Our number one priority is to win the Premier League title," Henry told FourFourTwo magazine. "Success is winning championships." Daily Mail
Midfielder Joey Barton will have to convince United States immigration officials he is not a danger to the public before he can join Newcastle on their pre-season tour. Daily Mirror
Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has revealed current boss Pep Guardiola is on a par with Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson when it comes to dishing out the infamous "hairdryer treatment". Pique, who had a spell at Old Trafford, said: "Guardiola can scream nearly as loud as Ferguson." Daily Mirror
