Emmanuel Adebayor is the one of most improved finishers that Arsène Wenger has ever worked with.

The Arsenal manager admitted the Togolese striker was "leggy" in front of goal when he arrived from Monaco just over a year ago. But since then the 21-year-old has hit 14 goals in 34 starts and, as a result, become a firm crowd favourite.

"Adebayor has made one of the biggest improvements in his finishing of any player I have seen, " said Wenger.

"He wasn't clumsy [before he came] but he was not confident in front of goal, a bit leggy as you say.

"You cannot make somebody who is like that suddenly precise. But with confidence, maturity, observation of how other players do it and encouragement you can improve."

But if Adebayor's strike-rate was not the reason for signing him in the first place then what was?

"What I liked when I bought him was that he can give you the option in the air yet he doesn't immobilise your game," said Wenger.

"Sometimes the price you have to pay when you have a guy who is good in the air is that your game gets fixed. You have only one version because it takes over. The players know if they have an easy target they use it. But he is a mobile player."


16 Feb 2007