11:34

Update and background from Turkish Football, who you can follow here.

Emmanuel Adebayor has completed his move to Süper Lig outfit Basaksehir on an 18-month move. The former Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham striker had been a free agent for six months prior to signing for the Istanbul based side.

Adebayor was linked with several Turkish clubs over the winter transfer window before arriving in Turkey yesterday. The 32-year-old underwent his medical at the Medipol Mega University hospital.

There had been concerns over Adebayor’s fitness however, Basaksehir chief scout Alioum Saidou watched Adebayor in the African Cup of Nations before giving the club the all clear to push ahead with the transfer.



Basaksehir have included several performance related clauses and bonuses in Adebayor’s contract. The Togo international will receive bonuses depending on whether Basaksehir qualify for Europa League or Champions League football next season.

Basaksehir may seem an unlikely choice for Adebayor who was flirting with the idea of making a Premier League return but the club are currently second in the Süper Lig just one point behind reigning champions Besiktas. They are coached by former Turkish national team manager Abdullah Avci who has secured a top-four finish for the past two seasons.

Avci has established a reputation as making astute transfers earning himself the nickname the Warren Buffet of football in Turkey.



Basaksehir are better known for unearthing rising stars. Nineteen-year-old Cengiz Under has turned out to be one of the transfers of the season but was signed for just £600,000 from signed from Altinordu. Avci also snapped up 21-year-old Irfan Can Kahveci from Genclerbirligi for £1.3m in January. The club do however, also invest in experience and former Newcastle United and Inter midfielder Emre Belozoglu is one of the most in-form players in the league at the ripe - footballing - age of 36.



The Istanbul based side have lost just one game this season, conceded the fewest number of goals (12) and only Besiktas, Galatasaray and Fenerbahce have scored more goals. The club were founded in 1990 as İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor before rebranding as Istanbul Basaksehir.

Basaksehir would become the sixth different team to lift the Turkish league title if they were to be crowned championship this season.