The fantasy stock of Arsenal’s Emmanuel Adebayor is set to rise as a result of yesterday’s announcement that he is set to sign a new contract at the Emirates.
The Arsenal striker who brought in 24 goals and 4 assists for his fantasy managers last season has been relentlessly linked with a move away from Arsenal in the summer. As a result of this and his price hike following last season’s success, his fantasy popularity has taken a hit.
He is currently ranked as the 11th most popular forward in the Fantasy Premier League game and sits 7th in the Telegraph game. This announcement, offering stability over the coming season, could well change that.
Adebayor’s potential is undoubted, whether he can match the output of last season is certainly debatable however. One factor in his favour going into the season is that Arsenal start their campaign with just one fixture against a top 8 side over the first 10 Premiership games. Everton at home on September 18 is the first game they face against a top 6 side.
That’s an extraordinarily kind run of games which makes Arsenal’s key players immensely attractive going into the season. Fabregas and Clichy are set to get the most suitors in midfield and defence respectively. Up front fantasy managers will certainly have Van Persie and Adebayor in their sights although, the fitness of Van Persie and the future of Adebayor has, up until now, reduced their appeal.
Arsenal’s early involvement in the Champions League and the emergence of Bendtner could give cause for concern that Adebayor could well be rested on a couple of occasions over the first 10 games. Much will depend on Adebayor’s form of course. If he starts the season on fire, it seems likely that he get his full quota of games, at least before Arsenal enter the group stages of the Champions League. Those matches start in mid-September, at which point Arsenal’s fixtures start to look a little tougher.
The pre-season is yet to give us any indication of how Adebayor is shaping up. He has made just one 45 minute appearance in friendlies thus far. However, this weekend’s Emirates Cup games against Juventus and Real Madrid should certainly put that right while offering assurances on the fitness of Van Persie.
If Adebayor looks sharp and notches goals against the quality opposition he faces over the next couple of days, then I expect interest in the striker to pick up even further. While he is priced considerably higher than last season, those opening sets of fixtures may well seal him a place in many a fantasy lineup going into the campaign.