Adebayor was a pain but will selling him hurt Wenger more?

City salute: Emmanuel Adebayor might cause damage to Arsenal now that he has joined one of their rivals for a top-four place.
Few tears are being shed for Emmanuel Adebayor among Arsenal supporters, but surely selling to Manchester City goes down as Arsene Wenger's biggest gamble.
Yes, City are buying trouble judging by his previous record, but Arsenal are also inviting it by trading one of their best players to a club who will make a serious attempt to evict them from the top four this season.
'Adebayor is a great player and he'll show that again at Manchester City,' said Wenger. And if he is right, who has most to lose?
Arsenal are the most vulnerable of the elite clubs, that much is obvious. They have finished fourth in three of the last four seasons and, in May, ended 11 points adrift of third-placed Chelsea, having finished third, seven points in front of Liverpool, the previous year. They will have to pre-qualify for the Champions League again this season, as they have at the start of every campaign since 2005-06.
Wenger does not work with the same budget as his contemporaries and, sooner or later, he will fail to pull off his traditional magic act of staying competitive with a young squad. Meanwhile, City are throwing money at the problem in the hope that this is the year Arsenal slip.
So, if Adebayor had been sold to AC Milan or even Chelsea, it would have made sense; but to the club who are most capable of kicking a hole in Arsenal's financial future? This is a big risk on Wenger's part.
The Champions League funds have kept Arsenal ahead of the chasing pack. Without them, there would be serious repercussions, sporting and financial. The chances of keeping a player like Cesc Fabregas with only Europa League football are minimal the chances of enticing a player such as Andrey Arshavin likewise. Shorn of the Champions League, Arsenal's biggest selling point would be history and the chance to work with Wenger - and would even that be guaranteed?
Wenger has clearly tired of Adebayor, which is understandable. The player's contradictory statements about his intentions, questionable attitude towards his team-mates and performances that often show a lack of focus and care would try the patience of any manager.
Yet Wenger claimed the main reason for selling was that Adebayor was unpopular with the home crowd. 'Believe me, we have lost a great player,' he said. If so, why sell? Why not tough it out? It sounds like an excuse. If Adebayor propels City into Arsenal's place next season, is Wenger going to blame faceless detractors in the stand? That is hardly fair. Arsenal are not run by committee. If Adebayor is an asset, Wenger should have stood by him. He cannot have it all ways.