The powerful midfielder will undoubtedly be counted among City’s all-time greats.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola (Photo: AFP)
Manchester City icon Yaya Toure will leave the club after the season finishes, Citizens manager Pep Guardiola has confirmed.
“Yaya is not going to stay next season,” Guardiola revealed at his press conference on Friday as he continued, “At the Brighton game we will make the focus winning and Yaya.”
City, already assured of the league title, host Huddersfield Town on Sunday before welcoming Brighton & Hove Albion for their final Premier League game of the season.
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The 34-year-old Toure arrived at the Etihad in 2010, interestingly after having fallen out of favour with Guardiola, who was then managing Barcelona, and quickly established himself as one of the Premier League’s finest midfielders.
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“We are going to try and win the game for him. We cannot forget we have magnificent facilities, but we cannot forget we are here because of the players.”
Despite some unusual clashes with the club, the powerful midfielder largely let his feet do the talking and he formed a crucial part of City’s title winning sides in the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons.
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And while the Sky Blues didn’t win the league in the 2013-14 season, it was Toure’s best in a City jersey as he netted an incredible 24 goals across all competitions that campaign.
“He came here, and we cannot forget that or what he has achieved for this Club. For Roberto Mancini and Manuel Pellegrini (previous title-winning Manchester City managers), Yaya was a key, key player,” Guardiola stressed.
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However, Guardiola’s arrival in the summer of 2016 had seen the ageing African relegated to the sidelines with the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, David Silva and Fernandinho ahead of him in the pecking order.
The Sky Blues have been in irresistible form this season as they powered to a impressive Premier League and Carabao Cup double, with Toure limited to substitute appearances.
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