Yaya Toure to leave Man City, says Guardiola
Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure is leaving Manchester City
and will get a fitting send-off in the Premier League champions’ final
home game against Brighton next week, manager Pep Guardiola said on
Friday.
An instrumental figure in recent years, the 34-year-old has played a
bit-part role this season and is out of contract at the end of the
campaign.
“Yaya is not going to stay next season,” Guardiola told reporters ahead of City’s home game against Huddersfield Town on Sunday.
“The Brighton game, we will give him what he deserves. One of the
most beautiful farewells a player can receive. We will be focused on
winning for Yaya and we are going to try to win it for him,” added the
Spaniard.
City play Brighton at the Etihad on Wednesday before their final match at Southampton.
Toure joined City from Barcelona, when Guardiola was in charge
there, in 2010 and missed a part of last season following a public spat
between his agent Dimitri Seluk and the Spaniard.
The player, who will be 35 this month, then issued a pubic apology
and was welcomed back into the fold, with a one-year contract extension.
He has made 229 Premier League appearances over the eight years, but
only nine this season, winning two titles, an FA Cup and two League
Cups with City.
“We cannot forget the period from (former managers) Roberto Mancini,
and especially Manuel Pellegrini, Yaya was the key, key player,’‘ said
Guardiola.
REUTERS
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