Saturday 17 September 2016 16:30, UK
Lyon have pulled out of a deal to sign Emmanuel Adebayor due to his desire to play in the Africa Cup of Nations.
The 32-year-old free agent, who has been without club since being released by Crystal Palace at the end of last season, begun negotiations over a proposed move to Lyon on Friday.
But in a brief statement released on Saturday, Lyon confirmed they would not be pursuing a deal to sign Adebayor due to his wish to represent Togo at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations which "would have led to an absence of one to two months".
The Ligue 1 club also added the former Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham forward had "delayed his arrival in Lyon since the beginning of the week before coming to Parc OL on Friday to have talks with coach Bruno Genesio".
Adebayor, who also saw a move to Sky Bet Championship side Fulham break down in the summer, scored just one goal during an unsuccessful six-month stint at Crystal Palace during the 2015/16 campaign.
Earlier this week, Lyon bolstered their forward line with the signing of young striker Philippe Mateta from French lower league side Chateauroux.
