RIO DE JANEIRO, Feb. 7 -- The president of Paraguay's Olimpia has vowed to sign former Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor if the club can attract 20,000 members over the weekend.
Marco Trovato revealed that talks are at an advanced stage with the 35-year-old Togo international, who is a free agent after parting ways with Turkish side Kayserispor in December.
"If we reach that target [of members] by Monday we will sign the contract, but that is fundamental," Trovato told reporters on Friday.
"We've been negotiating details and now we have an agreement in principle. If all goes well, on Monday we will sign him for a year. He would arrive next Wednesday and be presented on Thursday."
An Olimpia spokesperson said that Trovato's challenge prompted hundreds of fans to line up at the club's Asuncion headquarters on Friday afternoon to buy season tickets.
According to club officials, Olimpia currently have around 17,000 members.
Olimpia have won the past four Paraguayan first division titles and are three-time champions of the Copa Libertadores, South America's top club competition. Their 2020 Copa Libertadores campaign begins with a visit to Ecuador's Delfin in the first round of the group stage on March 4.
Adebayor, who has been capped 87 times for Togo, began his professional career at French club Metz in 2001. His most prolific period came at Arsenal, where he scored 46 goals in 104 Premier League matches from 2006 to 2009.
The forward also had spells at Manchester City, Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur.?