Arsenal sign Togo striker

Arsenal have signed Togo international striker Emmanuel Adebayor from Monaco.

The gangly but skilful 21-year-old forward becomes Arsenal’s second capture in the current transfer window after Arsene Wenger also completed the signing of Vasiriki Abou Diaby today.

The Gunners will pay an undisclosed fee to the Principality club after signing the African on a “long-term contract”.

Adebayor led his country to their first World Cup finals after top-scoring in the African zone.

Wenger said: "Emmanuel Adebayor is a great addition to our squad.

“He has shown in his performances with Monaco and Togo that he will add great quality to our offensive game. He is tall, good in the air and makes good runs. We are looking forward to him joining the squad when he returns from the African Nations Cup.”

However, Adebayor will not arrive at Highbury for at least a few weeks due to his participation in the African Nations Cup – though that did not taint the move for the player.

He said: “This is a great day for me. I am joining Arsenal, one of Europe’s leading teams, with a squad containing so many great players.

“I am looking forward to working very hard for the team and I hope I can give the Arsenal fans a lot of enjoyment in the future.”

Wenger feels French Under-19 international Diaby has the potential to fill Patrick Vieira’s midfield role at Arsenal.

While speculation continued over whether the Gunners would move for highly-rated Southampton teenager Theo Walcott – which looks increasingly likely - Wenger was delighted to have landed a player he feels can add an extra dimension to his squad.

Vieira – for so long Wenger’s midfield enforcer – left for Juventus in the summer, but the Gunners boss sees in Diaby many of the same traits s the former Arsenal captain.

“I like his potential, his physical power, the fact that he can win a fight in the middle of the park and the fact that he’s good going forward as well,” said Wenger.

“He can be a complete midfielder.

“Of course he has to develop, but there is a real, real potential there.

“People compare him a little bit with Vieira because he has a similar stature.

“He is a little bit of a different player, but Patrick is a good role model for him; to model himself on Patrick would be in my opinion a good idea because he has that kind of stature and strength.”

Wenger declared: “He is young, but he can make quick progress and I feel he is ready for the fight.”

The fee is believed to be in the region of £2m, and Auxerre revealed Diaby rejected advances from Chelsea to sign a four-year deal with the Gunners.

Wenger will not include Diaby, 19, in the squad for tomorrow’s Premiership clash with Middlesborough at Highbury, but is sure the midfielder “will be ready with a few weeks’ training”.

England full-back Ashley Cole will return to the squad for the first time since fracturing a bone in his foot during October.

The defender, 25, has once again been linked with a big-money summer move abroad, with Real Madrid and Barcelona both reported possible destinations.

Cole, though, insists he has every intention of playing in the Gunners’ new 60,000-seater Emirates Stadium next season.

And Wenger said: “We have already re-negotiated with Ashley and I hope he will finish his career with Arsenal and will stay for many years.

“At the start of the season we wanted to review his contract and if he is ready to extend it more, we will be ready for that.”