It’s the end of an era
Manchester City recently announced that Yaya Touré will be leaving the club at the end of this season. An absolutely pivotal figure during their recent successful period, the Ivorian midfielder has cemented himself as a City legend, for his incredible goal scoring record from midfield, leadership and ability to dominate matches with apparently minimal effort.
The news was accompanied by this video, that makes even non-City fans feel all fuzzy and nostalgic for a time just a few years back, when he would regularly score long range screamers while looking like he’d just got out of bed.
Not crying… Promise! 😭 #mancity
💙 @YayaToure 💙 pic.twitter.com/O7sx8cDGZR
— Manchester City (@ManCity) May 4, 2018
Pep Guardiola too had some kind words to say about the midfielder, whom he has coached at two different clubs now, after he first managed him at Barcelona in 2008/09.
Yaya isn’t ready to call it a day though, he’s still got plenty left in the tank, even if the car runs a bit slower these days. There have been reports of him going to China, as is becoming a more common career move once players are over the hill, but according to Manchester Evening News, he doesn’t want to leave England.
The 34-year-old is settled in the north west and plans to remain in the region, with Everton, Huddersfield and Burnley potential options for him.
Everton seems the most likely, as they are the most prestigious club of the three, with the biggest budget. While it would be quite spectacular to see Yaya Touré rock up at one of the other two, much smaller and poorer clubs, it would be very out of character for either of them to take him. That sort of short-termism is not what has lifted them to the Premier League.
