Chelsea urged to take a gamble on free agent Emmanuel Adebayor by Harry Redknapp

Chelsea have been urged to consider signing free agent Emmanuel Adebayor until the end of the season. Former Tottenham Hotspur boss Harry Redknapp brought the Togo international to White Hart Lane in 2012 and insists that despite having not played for 10 months he would be a worthwhile signing for any top-flight side.

The Times understand that Adebayor is the fall-back option for the Blues should they fail to sign Jamie Vardy, Jackson Martinez or Saido Berahino during the January transfer window. The 31-year-old was released from his contract at Spurs in September but has been unable find a new club since.

With Radamel Falcao out injured, Chelsea are currently short of forwards amid the wavering fitnesses of Loic Remy and Diego Costa. Interim boss Guus Hiddink is targeting a top four finish this season, but those ambitions have been damaged by a lack of goalscoring options.

Adebayor may not have played this season but spells with Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham mean he could still be regarded as a viable option for a Premier League club – including Chelsea. Redknapp says the deal is a "no-brainer".

"If any manager rang me about signing Emmanuel Adebayor I'd have a simple message: take him until the end of the season," he told The Evening Standard. "You can't lose. When you look around at what is available in the market this month, Adebayor on a free transfer until the end of the season is a no-brainer.

"Swansea, Norwich, Sunderland, Newcastle, Aston Villa or anyone struggling at the lower end of the table should be looking at him. He could even perform at a higher level — Chelsea have been linked with him and if he went to a club like that, he'd know he wouldn't necessarily play every week but on a short-term basis, so he should relish the challenge of proving he is big enough to play in the big games.

"He could still do a job in the Premier League, without a doubt. He has still got the ability and is naturally fit. People get ideas about him but he is a good trainer. You can't get him off the training pitch a lot of the time. He did well for me at Tottenham and for Tim Sherwood there later on. He just needs handling.

"Wages have been an obstacle to signing him in the past but he's been paid up now and shouldn't be looking for mega-money. I've been critical of him for prioritising the wrong things sometimes but I think he's in a place now where he just wants to play. He has been out of the game too long and the timing is perfect in this window for someone to snap him up."