The present situation of Yaya Toure at Manchester City has been really infuriating for all football lovers. In a perfect example of how the role of agents have begun to interfere with even the appearances for the club to which he is currently contracted to, Toure’s agent Dimitri Seluk’s ego is proving to be the worst thing for the renowned midfielder.
After the loose comments made by the agent about current city boss Pep Guardiola, the manager made it clear that Seluk needs to apologise to him before he starts considering his client as a part of the team roster to be included in the match day squad.
While the stand-off remains with Seluk refusing to apologise even after Guardiola’s assurances of recalling Toure back to his lineup, there has been a very strange report published by CalcioMercato recently. The report claims that Arsenal are very close to making a move for the midfielder and are likely to submit a bid in January.
While there can be absolutely no doubts regarding the pedigree and quality of Yaya Toure as a player, at 33, there is little he can still provide in the Premier League. The Ivorian has been an exceptional signing for the Citizens who helped them turn the club into a real force, winning 2 Premier League titles, 2 League Cups and an F.A Cup in what was the most successful period in the club’s history.
During his stint with City, Toure’s performances allowed him to be included in the Premier League team of the year twice in 2011/12 and 2013/14. He also won the African footballer of the year award four times in succession since 2011. In 267 appearances for City in all competitions, the midfielder has scored a staggering 75 goals which gives us some idea of the impact he has had on the team.
Nevertheless, after a long wait of a decade, Arsene Wenger finally has been able to assemble a squad with real depth and quality at Arsenal this time round. There is already a lot of competition in the different positions of the pitch between the players at the Emirates.
The midfield particularly is one such area which at the moment needs no more additions. Aaron Ramsey, who suffered an injury in the Euro Cup 2016 with Wales is due to return very shortly to further be in contention for a spot in the starting XI giving his manager a much welcome selection headache.
With the rise of Alex Iwobi and Francis Coquelin in the last couple of years, and with the arrival of Granit Xhaka in the summer, the midfield is one of the strongest areas for the Gunners and there will certainly be no need for a 33-year old Yaya Toure despite his obvious abilities and previous records in the Premier League.
