If Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure still doesn’t feel wanted at Etihad Stadium in the summer, he could end up bolting for an Italian club that seems to really, really want him.

Late last week La Gazzetta dello Sport, as per Football Italia, reported that Inter Milan were keen to sign Toure ahead of the 2015-16 campaign, with the Ivory Coast international already having sanctioned a wage reduction in order to expedite the move.

Nerazzurri manager Roberto Mancini confirmed his interest to il Giornale on Thursday, according to Goal, remarking that he was “working on” a swoop for the midfielder he initially purchased from Barcelona in 2010 while in charge of City.

“He played for many teams, in many leagues like Belgium, Spain, Russia, England. He only misses Italy, this may be a good chance for him,” Mancini said.

He added: “[Toure is] one of the best players in the world. He can still have his say.”

He certainly can, and just last spring he and his agent had plenty to say about a perceived lack of appreciation at City that came to a head when the club didn’t satisfactorily recognise his birthday.

“None of them shook hands on his birthday. It’s really sick,” Dimitri Seluk, Toure’s representative, told the BBC in May. “The most important thing is a human relationship and maybe this is his opportunity for Yaya to find that. If City don’t respect him, then, easy Yaya will leave.”

Seluk went on to say that his client had “enough money” and would prefer to play at a club “that respects him” rather than having “a few thousand pounds added to his salary.”

Incidentally, Toure is on £220,000 a week at City and is contracted through the completion of the 2016-17 season.

According to The Guardian, the reigning Premier League champions won’t offer him a new contract, and given that he’ll turn 32 years old before the completion of the current campaign—nevermind his wildly inconsistent performances this term—they may opt to make a little money off him while they still have a chance.

La Gazzetta dello Sport, as relayed by Football Italia, have quoted a price of €9 million, and while such a fee would hardly make a difference in City’s account books, it would help in their efforts to comply with Financial Fair Play, as would the stroking off of his wages.

At Inter, should the transfer be completed, Toure would join a fascinating project that has already seen Lukas Podolski, Xherdan Shaqiri and Marcelo Brozovic arrive at San Siro this month. Club owner Erick Thohir has shown a willingness to spend since Mancini’s arrival, and the plan is to challenge Juventus for the Scudetto next season.

“We just need three champions to close the gap,” commented Mancini in his il Giornale interview.

Toure could well be one of them, and if the desire to reach an agreement is mutual, it will almost certainly transpire before pre-season training begins—a sort of late birthday present for a player who seems desperate to celebrate himself.

 

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