Yaya Toure has poured cold water over the speculation surrounding his future at Manchester City – speculation begun by his own agent.
Ivoirian talisman Toure and his representative Dimitri Seluk confirmed that the midfielder intends to honour his contract at The Etihad Stadium, which runs until 2017.
The Ivory Coast international, appearing on Sky Sports News on Friday, said: “The fans have always been good to me, they’ve always been good to my family.”
“I want to stay. I will always honour my contract. I don’t think about all this speculation. It’s a big pleasure to stay and enjoy the next season.”
Seluk had sparked the rumour mill into life shortly after City had lifted the Premier League trophy, saying Toure, 31, had been insulted by the club failing to mark his birthday.
A video on City’s website had, however, shown Toure being presented with a birthday cake.
As Seluk continued to claim that his client had been disrespected by City, the Ivory Coast star was linked with Paris Saint-Germain and – most recently – Manchester rivals United.
Despite the speculation being started largely by his own agent, Toure described it as ‘disappointing’.
“Everything is fine now,” he said. “There was a lot of speculation, you know. I think sometimes it’s quite disappointing.
He added: “I need to do something for the fans, it’s important to let them know. They’ve done a lot for me. The team is preparing well and we will try to win again next season.”
Seluk made the same point as his client, saying he would not go to ‘any club’ – but would remain at the heart of City’s midfield.
“Yaya will stay at Manchester City 100 per cent,” he said.
“He has a contract, he will work very hard and I hope this season he will be the best player in England.”
“I hope now everybody will have a very friendly relationship. I hope his next birthday they will celebrate together.”
Image courtesy of Manchester City via YouTube with thanks
