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Emmanuel Adebayor says midfielder Arsenal let go for free was just like Luka Modric

Charles Jones

Sat 22 February 2025 18:45, UK

Emmanuel Adebayor played with some incredible midfielders during his time at Arsenal.

Indeed, Adebayor was lucky enough to call the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Jack Wilsere teammates during his time at the Emirates.

Adebayor also worked with Aaron Ramsey as he was making his name in north London as well.

Emmanuel Adebayor didn’t play all that much with Ramsey, but, speaking on , the striker says that he could immediately tell the Welshman was a special player.

Indeed, Adebayor says Ramsey was a player who had something different, stating that the midfielder was in the same sort of bracket as Luka Modric or Xabi Alonso due to how he could see and read the game.

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Aaron Ramsey was like Luka Modric

Adebayor spoke about how good Ramsey was at a young age.

The striker says that Arsene Wenger never got his young signings wrong, and he could tell very quickly that Ramsey was a special player.

“When we saw Ramsey coming, we knew Arsene Wenger never got it wrong. Most of the youth players he bought would always become successful.

“After one or two weeks, we knew, this guy has something different.

“He had the cleverness to see and pass the ball, long balls, short pass. Players like Xabi Alonso, Luka Modric, Ramsey, I would also put him in that category, in that basket. He knows where the ball is supposed to be and where the ball is supposed to go, that makes him a different player.”

Aaron Ramsey record alongside Emmanuel Adebayor

Adebayor says that he knew Ramsey was special from the off, and, interestingly these two had a perfect record together when playing alongside one another.

Indeed, Ramsey and Adebayor only played five games together, but they won every single one of those matches, while Ramsey also assisted Adebayor in his Premier League debut against Blackburn Rovers.

Adebayor and Ramsey won every single game they played together, and Adebayor seemingly remembers just how good the Welshman was at a young age.

Adebayor says that Wenger’s youth recruitment was always brilliant, and he did sign some incredible players as teenagers over the years.

Ultimately Adebayor would leave Arsenal on bad terms, while Ramsey would leave to join Juventus on a free transfer, despite the fact Ramsey didn’t want to leave Arsenal.