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Yaya Touré stung to learn of Pep Guardiola’s cold shoulder via media• Midfielder was not informed personally that he was frozen out of squad
• Touré disappointed at his treatment by Manchester City manager
Yaya Touré did not know he had been frozen out by Pep Guardiola until the Manchester City manager revealed it publicly on Tuesday.
Before Wednesday night’s EFL Cup trip to Swansea City Guardiola said Touré would never play again for the club unless his agent, Dimitri Seluk, offered an apology.
The Ivorian was bemused to find out via the media rather than be informed personally by Guardiola of his changed status. Despite having featured only once this term – in August’s Champions League play-off second-leg against Steaua Bucharest (when City were already 5-0 up from the first leg) – Touré had been training conscientiously and was determined to force his way back into the Catalan’s first-team plans. The 33-year-old is understood to have caused no friction at the club despite his lack of playing time and Guardiola has stated more than once that Touré has been no problem.
Yaya Touré free to leave Manchester City for any Premier League club
On Tuesday the manager called him a “good guy” but was clear Seluk has to say sorry to the club, the other players, and Guardiola for claiming the 45-year-old disrespected Touré when leaving him out of the 25-man Champions League squad.
This took Touré by surprise and the player is disappointed at how he has been treated by Guardiola given his professional attitude, believing he should not be penalised for the actions of Seluk. As he was caught unaware by the manager’s announcement Touré has given no thought to his future and if he might now leave in the January transfer window.
Touré is free to join any Premier League club then, with City prepared to allow the midfielder to leave for a direct rival. The hierarchy would countenance the Ivorian moving to another domestic team even if they are challenging City for the title.
The view at the Etihad Stadium is that at 33, Touré’s best days are behind him and so if the midfielder were to attract interest he would be unlikely to damage City’s chances of success.
There is an outside prospect he could play for City again and see out a contract worth £220,000-a-week that finishes next June. This means he can sign a pre-contract agreement from January to join a new club in the summer. Internazionale were intent on signing him last summer but Touré decided against the move despite the prospect of playing again under Roberto Mancini, who has since left the Italian club. The midfielder also rejected the chance last summer to join two Chinese sides, Shanghai SIPG and Jiangsu Suning, in deals that would have been worth around £30m to him.
As Touré also retired from international football with the Ivory Coast on Tuesday there is the prospect of him playing no football at all until next season unless he does depart City in January.
Even if Seluk were to apologise it appears unlikely Touré will become a regular in the first-team again, so his career at the club may be materially over whatever occurs in the future.
Since Touré to joined City from Barcelona in the summer of 2010 the Ivorian has been an integral part of the club’s recent success. In 2011 he scored the winners in the semi-final and final of the FA Cup to secure City a first major trophy since 1976. Touré was also the driving forced in each of the Premier League title triumphs in 2012 and 2014, while also being part of the League Cup-winning sides in 2016 and two years before.
During his six years at City Toure has been voted the African Footballer of the Year four times, and led Ivory Coast to the Africa Cup of Nations in February 2015.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... ester-city