EXCLUSIVE
By Wayne Veysey | Chief Correspondent
Tottenham remain confident of completing a £5 million deal to sign Emmanuel Adebayor, despite the striker returning to training with Manchester City's youth team on Wednesday.
Talks between Adebayor and Spurs have temporarily stalled and he will be forced to train at City's Carrington base while the senior squad continue on their tour of Austria, Malaysia and China.
Spurs were hopeful of completing Adebayor’s transfer in time for their own pre-season tour of America at the end of this week but that is now looking increasingly unlikely.
Manchester City and Spurs reached agreement two weeks ago on a £5m fee for the player following his season-long loan at White Hart Lane but Adebayor has not yet agreed personal terms with the London club.
All parties remain hopeful that a deal can still be agreed, given the desire of new Spurs manager Andre Villas-Boas to build his front line around the 28-year-old and Adebayor’s own eagerness to move permanently to the club.
"Adebayor is back training with City along with Roque Santa Cruz, who between them are costing the club £280,000-a-week," a source told Goal.com. "City are as keen as ever to offload Adebayor and clear a space in their squad. Everyone expects a deal with Tottenham still to be done, it's a matter of when and not if."
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It is understood that there is a growing likelihood that the forward’s switch to White Hart Lane will now be completed early next month.
Adebayor played a key role for Spurs on loan last season under Harry Redknapp, scoring 17 Premier League goals and providing 11 assists in 33 appearances.
The Togolese forward, a £25 million signing from Arsenal in the summer of 2009, has been frozen out at City since lining up against Red Bull Salzburg in a Europa League tie in December 2010.
He has made just 45 appearances for the club in all competitions and spent the second half of the 2010-11 season on loan at Real Madrid before his year at Spurs.
