Why Man City need to offer Yaya Toure a new deal
Pep Guardiola has a number of decisions to make over the future of players who will be out of contract in the summer.
It looks unlikely that Bacary Sagna and Gael Clichy will earn a reprieve, allowing them to leave the Etihad. Jesus Navas will be waved off by the City fans after an underwhelming time at the club, having not lived up to potential.
Out of those who will stay, Pablo Zabaleta could be kept on for his experience in a squad lacking in it, even though his best years are certainly behind him, as Guardiola plots moves for new full-backs. Willy Caballero has made the No.1 spot his own, meaning allowing him to leave could force City to seek out two new goalkeepers.
The man causing the greatest debate around East Manchester is Yaya Toure, a player whose Manchester City career seemed to be coming to a abrupt end at the start of the season, when Guardiola demanded an apology for comments from the Ivorian’s agent.
His huge wages could be a stumbling block as many would expect Toure to take a pay cut to stay on at the Etihad, but he has earned plenty from the club since joining in 2010, a period which has seen him happily settle in the north of England, so much so that he turned down moves away to China in January.
Toure spent months out of the matchday squad until he eventually said sorry for the incident and was returned to the line-up in a win at Crystal Palace, as Toure made an immediate impact, scoring twice at Selhurst Park.
It was a sign of the quality the veteran midfielder still possesses. In the final days of Manuel Pellegrini’s tenure, Toure looked less bothered and many could have been forgiven for thinking the years had caught up with the ex-Barcelona man.
In his early days at City, Toure was a marauding midfielder, running through the opposition thanks to his pace and power, leaving opponents to bounce off him, as he helped City to two titles. Naturally, a player’s physical capabilities will decline and Toure cannot be expected to be permanently formidable.
Guardiola has altered his game, reverting him to being the holding midfielder he was at Barcelona, rather than the all-action version the Premier League has got used to.
Without Ilkay Gundogan, who has been injured for the majority of the season, the return of Toure has been essential for City, as they lack quality on the ball in the middle of the park. Fernando and Fernandinho are not at the club for their passing ability, so Toure’s composure on the ball is key in the Premier League.
By the end of the season, Toure will be 34, but considering he is currently a regular for City, there’s no reason why he can’t play a crucial role next year, even if he is unable to feature every week due to his age.
Since returning to the team on November 19 at Palace, he has played 20 games for City, becoming the focal point in front of a defence that has generally struggled for consistency.
Toure’s disciplined nature since getting back into the team is proof of his maturity, as he has suffered from petulance at times during his City career. And City have long struggled to get someone to fill the defensive midfield role in recent years.
As City look to challenge on four fronts next year, having players who have won all the trophies they’re aiming to bring back to Manchester will be key in the dressing room, as well as on the pitch.
The former Barcelona player is helping to nurture City’s younger talents and has become the voice of the dressing room after games, saving his colleagues from speaking to the media.
Now Toure has found his role in the team again and his agent has kept quiet, it seems only right that he is kept on for another season.