Arsenal

Yaya Toure Tipped For Move As Agent Confirms Disgruntled Star Likely To Quit City

Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool are being tipped to move for Yaya Toure after the players agent confirmed he’s likely to leave Manchester City this summer.

by
Transfer News Reporter
May 20, 2014

As we approach the opening of the summer window clubs will be intensifying their efforts in the transfer market so we’ll bring you all the latest news and gossip. Today, Yaya Toure could be set to quit Manchester City.

One of the big stories in this mornings newspapers is that Yaya Toure wants to leave Manchester City after being left furious that nobody at the club wished him a happy birthday and he could take a pay cut to join a domestic rival such as Arsenal, Chelsea or Liverpool.

Toure joined the rest of his City team mates for an end-of-season tour in Abu Dhabi last week where owner Sheikh Mansour threw a party on Tuesday to celebrate the clubs Premier League title win.

However, the celebratory bash just so happened to coincide with Toure’s 31st birthday and it seems the Ivory Coast international has been left incensed that nobody at the club took the time to wish him a happy birthday.

The midfield powerhouse’s agent, Dimitry Seluk, has revealed the extent of Toure’s frustration in a bizarre rant where he says the player is made to feel like a ‘nobody’ at City and claims that he would be treated like a hero if he helped a club like Liverpool win the title.

Seluk also confirmed there is a ‘big possibility’ that Toure – who earns £220,000-a-week – will leave this summer and is ready to take a pay cut to join another club. He told reporters:

‘There is a big possibility Yaya will leave this summer. He is very upset. What happened at his birthday means the club don’t care about him. It was proof.

‘They can say whatever they want, “Oh we like him but we forgot”. Forgot? About Yaya? The player who helped you to be two-times Premier League champions? The guy who helped you win the FA Cup and League Cup?

‘In a normal team, his team-mates and club would at least give him good wishes. But when you win the title and two days later you have a big party to celebrate the title and nobody comes to Yaya to say happy birthday, what more do you want?

‘If a player like Yaya went to Liverpool and they won the league for the first time in 24 years, Yaya would be a god in Liverpool,’

‘But at City, Yaya is no hero. He’s nobody. That’s how the club make him feel. He’s very upset and he started thinking about leaving the club. And he will leave if things carry on like this.

‘We’re not doing this for more money. We probably can go for less money to another club. If they think they can buy everything, they are wrong. I think these people don’t care. Only stupid people would want Yaya to leave.’ Seluk is quoted as saying by the Daily Mail

It’s a sensational outburst from Seluk and extraordinary if true as the agent seems to suggest that not only did the clubs hierarchy fail to acknowledge Toure’s birthday, but so too did his fellow team mates – which may suggest there is some sort of tension among the City squad.

I’m sure there will be no shortage of takers if Toure does push for a move this summer and the Daily Star claim that Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool are ready to pounce if he wants out of the Etihad Stadium.

Chelsea have the finances required to pull off such a deal and Jose Mourinho is known to like powerful midfielders in his team, so it would come as no surprise if the West Londoners were heading the queue of interested parties should Toure become available.

Arsene Wenger is a big admirer of the Ivorian’s and came close to signing him when he was a youngster, with Toure even playing for the reserves while on trial back in 2003. The Gunners boss is expected to be armed with a £100m transfer kitty this summer so the money is there if the Frenchman wants to try and lure Toure to the Emirates.

It’s interesting that Seluk named Liverpool in his rant and I’m sure Toure would be interested in linking up with his brother at Anfield. Brendan Rodgers would surely jump at the chance of signing a player of Toure’s quality as he looks to build a squad capable of competing in the Champions League next season, but there has to be doubts over whether the Reds would be able to finance such a coup.

It’s going to be interesting to see how this plays out from here as City are surely not going to be too impressed by Seluk’s outburst. It wouldn’t surprise me if he offers a retraction or claims he was ‘misinterpreted’, otherwise it’s going to be difficult for Toure to remain at the club.

However, if the City hierarchy do agree to sell the disgruntled star I’d be majorly surprised if they agreed to do business with a domestic rival. They’d most likely try and sell him abroad where there is sure to be a long list of interested clubs. A return to Barcelona perhaps?

What do you make of Toure’s agents outburst? Share your views below.