Agent defends Ivory Coast's Toure, blames Manchester City's attitude

Mahmoud Elassal , Sunday 19 Apr 2015

Yaya Toure's agent believes his client can find his way with any team if Man City released him; says Pellegrini is a good coach but a weak manager

Manchester City
Manchester City's Yaya Toure, centre right, and teammates wait for play to resume after Manchester United's fourth goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford Stadium, Manchester, England, Sunday, April 12, 2015 (Photo: AP)

The agent of Ivory Coast forward Yaya Toure, Dimitri Seluk, has said that Manchester City will offload his client when the summer transfer window reopens if they fail to reach the UEFA Champions League next season.

Manchester City, who are currently fourth in the English Premier League team table with 61 points, is fighting to book a place in the UEFA Champions League next season after exiting the current tournament in the 16th round.

Man City lost seven games and drew in seven in the current English Premier League campaign. They are 15 points behind league leaders Chelsea.

They left the Champions League after losing 3-1 to Barcelona on aggregate.

"Some people at City are trying to blame Yaya for what has happened this season," Toure's agent Seluk told The Sunday Mirror. "But those people aren't taking responsibility for their own mistakes," he said.

"I am talking about executives who have bought players for a lot of money and then put those players on the bench," he added. "I am talking about executives who spend a lot of money on Stevan Jovetic and then drop him from the Champions League squad."

Manchester City coach Manuel Pellegrini, who replaced long time manager Roberto Mancini, is also expected to leave the club if he fails to reach the UEFA Champions League next season.

“I feel sorry for Pellegrini. He is a good coach, but a weak manager," Seluk said.

"He won the title with the team left behind by Roberto Mancini. It seems the answer for everything at City is to blame Yaya," the player's agent added.

Top flight clubs chase Toure

Toure's agent has made it clear that Inter Milan current coach and former Man City tactician Roberto Mancini asked him to take the Ivory Coast star to the Serie A side if the Premier League side decides to offload him next summer.

"If City want Yaya to leave then they should come out and say so," Seluk said.

"Two of the biggest clubs have already asked me if he is available and I know that if City said they will sell, then another 10 would call me inside 24 hours."

"And if City are worried about money, then they can keep their money in their wallet, because I know that other teams will pay Yaya what he earns now.”

"Yaya has had a very tough year. He has played in the World Cup and at the African Nations and played almost every minute of every game for City," Seluk said.

"Also, his brother died last year and he is still badly affected by the loss."

"The problem is that City want Yaya to do everything. They want him to score goals, they want him to assist goals, and they want him to defend."

"It is also interesting that City could not win a match when Yaya was away at the African Nations," the player's agent concluded.

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