Toure agent glad to see him stay at City

Yaya Toure’s agent Dmitri Seluk has said the player is “pleased” to stay at Manchester City, despite his ongoing struggle for first-team action.

The Ivorian midfielder was linked with a move away from the Etihad Stadium during the transfer window, with clubs in China and Italy reported to have expressed an interest in signing him, but Seluk claims he was happy to see Toure remain at City.

Toure has been left out of all three of Pep Guardiola’s Premier League matchday squads this season, and the 33-year-old was a notable omission from City’s Champions League squad.

Seluk told Sport Express in Russia: “We are pleased that Yaya was in the team until the end of the contract. Of course, he could leave, but we decided that he would stay.

“Yaya is a great professional. He was show that, in spite of some decisions, the player has to do their job.

“He has won the Premier League twice, and in general everything in the world, except for the World Cup.

“Everyone understands everything. The man has a year on his contract.”

UEFA rules dictate that eight of the 25 players named by Champions League clubs must be homegrown, but City’s shortage of English talent meant they could only name 21 players and Toure was not selected.

Seluk added that time will tell whether Pep Guardiola was right to leave him out of his European campaign, saying: “This decision was made by an ingenious modern manager, Guardiola.

“Yaya is a professional. Perhaps Pep took into account the fact that his contract ends in a year, and wants to give other players a chance to work on themselves.

“This is the vision of the coach. And life will show whether it is the correct decision or not. We will see at the end of the season.”