CHELSEA SWITCH ADS UP; Football Spy.

Byline: JOHN CROSS

EMMANUEL ADEBAYOR has been offered to AC and Inter Milan - to stop him from being sold to Chelsea.

Arsenal are determined to auction off Adebayor this summer and have hired agents to try to strike a pounds 25million deal.

But Gunners boss Arsene Wenger fears that the Milan giants have lost interest in the 25-year-old after his disappointing season. That could leave Chelsea in the driving seat as Adebayor's agent yesterday admitted that the Togo striker would relish the chance of working with Carlo Ancelotti.

But Arsenal do not want to sell to their Premier League rivals, who will kick off the season under their new Italian boss.

Wenger has already lined up Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh as Adebayor's replacement. Arsenal have got an pounds 8m deal in place for 25-year-old Chamakh as soon as Adebayor goes.

A big deal for Adebayor will also free up cash to sign Fiorentina's Brazil midfielder Felipe Melo. Wenger has also tracked Udinese's Gokhan Inler for the past 18 months.

Ancelotti was boss of AC Milan when both they and Barcelona bid in excess of pounds 25m for the Arsenal striker last summer.

But his subsequent poor form and perceived bad attitude has put off potential buyers. Adebayor's agent Stephane Courbis said: "There has been no meeting with Milan for Adebayor and I've not received any telephone calls from them recently.

"I don't know whether he is for sale. I spoke to Wenger this morning and he didn't say anything to that effect.

"I've not spoken about the alleged interest from Chelsea or Manchester United. But Adebayor would like to work with Ancelotti because Milan tried to acquire him last summer."

CAPTION(S):

GOT THE HUMP Adebayor's Arsenal career looks to be behind him