Sheffield United: Blades among three Premier League sides linked with ex-Arsenal and Manchester City striker

According to reports from the Daily Mail, West Ham United, Watford and the Blades are all interested in the 35-year-old powerhouse striker, who made his name in English football with a fine spell at Arsenal back in the mid-00’s.

He went on to play for both Manchester City - where he famously celebrated emphatically in-front of the fans of his former side - and Real Madrid, before crossing the North London divide and joining Spurs in 2011.

Since leaving the Lilywhites in 2015, the player’s footballing career has arguably been in decline - although he did manage an impressive 17 goals for Istanbul Basaksehir in the 2017/18 season, which included a memorable hat-trick against Turkish giants Galatasaray.

While the Blades are in the market for a striker this summer, the story most certainly has to be taken with a pinch (or perhaps a level tablespoon) of salt; the veteran forward is moving into the twilight of his career, and doesn’t boast the energy and hunger that United boss Chris Wilder is looking for in potential new recruits.

Furthermore, given that Adebayor has recently become a free agent, the report is most likely the product of an agent looking to drum up some interest in their client. It’s also fair to say that the Togolese forward’s wage demands would exceed those of the Blades’ strict budget.

On Friday, the Blades were linked with a more realistic target, Queens Park Rangers’ Luke Freeman. United are believed to be readying a £4 million bid for the ex-Arsenal academy ace, who excelled in the Championship for the Hoops last season.