Adebayor set to tell Wenger he wants move from Arsenal

Emmanuel Adebayor indicated yesterday that he will tell Arsène Wenger next week that he wants to leave Arsenal to join Milan or Barcelona. The striker said he had been promised a conversation with his manager next week to discuss his future and sounded keen to leave the Emirates for what he considers a bigger stage.

Adebayor described Wenger as "like a father to me" but sounded ready to end the relationship with his manager. "He put me where I am today, no doubt about that," the Togo international said. "But if he sells me, and what they are saying in the newspapers is right, they are going to get €50m (£39.5m), maybe €60m for me and they bought me for €10m. So everyone is getting benefits. They have to make a good decision and I have to make a good decision as well."

Wenger has said that he does not want the striker to leave the club and the Milan vice-president, Adriano Galliani, admitted this week that it did not look as if Arsenal were going to sell. "When there's a contract and the club who owns him says no, then it's no," he said.

Adebayor, however, appears confident that he can persuade Wenger to cash in on him. "I had a dream of playing for Arsenal and Arsenal are one of the loveliest clubs in the world," he said at an event organised by his boot supplier, Adidas. "When I go back to Africa it is obvious that a lot of people love the club. But now I have a chance of playing with one of the biggest clubs in the world. I haven't had a chance to speak to the manager yet. But we will sit down next week and decide what is good for my career."

Adebayor, signed by Arsenal from Monaco, has attracted interest from Barcelona as well as Milan after scoring 30 times last season and could expect a wage rise if he moves. Yesterday the 24-year-old added that a decision of what to do "would not be difficult" and suggested he was in control of his own destiny.

"We will have to meet with the manager before anything can be decided," he said. "But, as you know better than anyone, a lot of teams want me to play for them. It will not be a difficult decision. I'm just going to sit down with my agent and with my family and decide what is good for my career."

He wants his future resolved by July 21, when Arsenal begin pre-season training, and hinted that he could be persuaded to stay if the club finally meet his demands for a significant pay-rise.

"I have a promise from Arsène that they will call me next week because I asked them to look at my contract and see what they wanted to do," he said. "Now I am waiting and then I will decide."