Cote D’Ivoire international midfielder Yaya Toure was not included in Manchester City’s UEFA Champions League roster for the upcoming season, as new coach Pep Guardiola seems intent on phasing him out of the team.
The 33-year-old was not aware that he would be left out of the 21-man squad for his English Premier League club’s charge in the European flagship club competition, and Toure’s agent has described the situation as humiliating for his client.
The experienced midfielder, who earns around $293,000 per week at the club, is one of only two players in the Manchester City team to have won the Champions League, with new goalkeeper Raul Bravo the other.
Dimitri Seluk, the Ivorian’s opinionated agent, said that Toure is upset by the decision to omit him from the European squad, but knows that Guardiola is coach and needs to be respected.
He added, however, that he expects an apology for his player if Manchester City does not win the Champions League.
“It is Pep’s decision and we must respect that. If he wins the Champions League for City this season then I will travel to England and I will say on television that Pep Guardiola is the best manager in the world,” Seluk said, according to TheMirror.
“But if City don’t win the Champions League, then I hope that Pep has got the balls to say that he was wrong to humiliate a great player like Yaya. This is Pep’s decision and we must respect it,” he added.
Pressing the point, the agent sarcastically commented that his player may be considered for a league cup game against a smaller club side.
“Yaya is a professional and so he will do everything he is asked to do. Perhaps Pep will think he is good enough to play in the final 10 minutes of a League Cup game against a third division team – and, yes, I am joking,” he commented.
The agent then went on to admit that Toure would remain at the Citizens for the rest of his contract this season, before a move to another club will take place.
“But what I can tell you is that Yaya will spend the season at City. He will not be leaving in January. He hopes that he will get the chance to prove himself,” the agent added.
However, the agent told the DailyMail that his client would be flooded by offers from clubs around the globe, and that he may sign a pre-contract in January.
“Yaya in January can sign a pre-contract agreement with clubs abroad. He will have many offers from clubs. China and America of course, they want him, but we will have a lot of offers from England and Europe,” Seluk said.
