Now, not only is Emmanuel Adebayor for sale, but he can also leave Arsenal for half the price.

The transfer speculation surrounding the Togo player is bordering on the soap opera-ish.

Arsenal had at first declared he was not for sale.

And, to prove their point, they slapped a £36 million (S$96.8 million) price tag on the striker.

AC Milan, who were eyeing him, baulked at the price and withdrew their interest.

But now, fed up with Adebayor's constant demands for a pay rise, the Gunners are willing to let him go - at half the price.

Vincenzo Morabito, the agent working on Milan's behalf to prise the 24-year-old from the Emirates, said the Italians were 'working to make the deal easier' - and had arrived at 'more reasonable figures'.

He said on The Daily Telegraph: 'They're still asking lot, but much less than the 45 million euros we were originally asked for. More than that of Samuel Eto'o and Didier Drogba, but they are a little bit older.'

Eto'o, the Barcelona striker, is 27 while Chelsea's Drogba is 30.

Adriano Galliani, Milan vice-president, also claims that Arsenal have written to him to explain they had softened their stance over Adebayor since last month, when they indicated he was not for sale.

He said: 'I have a letter from Arsenal that says, 'We will consider a deal if it still interests you'.'

According to Galliani, he had spoken to the English club's manager Arsene Wenger about a sale, but he reported the two being 'divided' over Adebayor's value.

Milan have made the acquisition of a striker a high priority, after Ronaldo suffered a long-term injury and Alberto Gilardino was lost to Fiorentina.

Galliani conceded: 'If Adebayor decides to leave, Milan definitely want him.

'But it is clear that, if an offer arrives from Barcelona, it would be difficult for him to say no.'