Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp concedes Emmanuel Adebayor will have to take a huge pay-cut if he is to stay at White Hart Lane next season.
Adebayor has played a key role in helping Tottenham turn around their season. Since he signed on loan from Manchester City, the Londoners have lost just once and they can move level with Adebayor's parent club at the top of the Barclays Premier League on Saturday if they beat Wolves at White Hart Lane.
Spurs' top earners are thought to be on roughly £70,000 a week - about a third of what Adebayor receives at the Etihad Stadium, and Redknapp summed up the gulf in spending power between the two clubs by saying: "He has done well for us. He has worked hard but he is on amazing money."
He added: "The other week, one of the lads told him that he had not paid his £50 fine for being the worst player in training on a Friday morning. One of the lads said to him: `Bloody hell, Ade, you are on 200 grand a week and you can't afford to pay a £50 fine!' He replied: `Don't insult me, it's 225!`"
The laughter that followed the anecdote was followed up by a serious message from Redknapp, who admitted: "He certainly isn't getting that here."
Redknapp went on to admit that Tottenham's strict wage structure means he faces a tough battle to keep many of his stars at White Hart Lane despite the club being in with a serious chance of winning their first title in 51 years this term.
"Players play for a club and they enjoy being there, but if someone comes along and offers them a contract that could blow their current one out of the water, then you've got a problem," he said.
"I'd be talking rubbish if I said people wanted to stay at Tottenham just because we're playing good football. I'd be dreaming.
"If you want to keep the best players, we have to find a way of doing a deal that's near to what they can earn elsewhere, otherwise it will be a problem.
"If you're a top player and someone wants to give you a fantastic contract, it's very hard to hang on to them."
Source: PA
