Inter Milan manager Roberto Mancini has revealed that he will try to sign Yaya Toure in the summer for next season as the Italian is in the process of building a team that can challenge for the title.
Manchester City signed Yaya Toure in 2010 from Barcelona under Roberto Mancini for a hefty fee of around A?24m and the Ivorian turned out to be a key player for them in the following years as he helped his side to their first title in 35 years after City won the FA Cup. Toure then played a key role in City’s League triumph a season later.
Mancini told Sky Sports News HQ, “I bought Yaya five years ago. It was really difficult to take him there. He is a fantastic player and in the future, if he wants to change, and to try and play in Italy, Inter is open for him.
“It depends because he is a City player in this moment.”
The Italian had earlier told Italian newspaper Il Giornale, “Yaya is one of the strongest players in the world. He still is.
“He has played in so many teams. He has been in leagues in Belgium… Spain and England. Italy is the one missing. This could be the right opportunity for him to come and try.
“We are building a team. There are players that change the look of a team, and Yaya Toure is one of them.
“Next year we could try. We need to bring three champions, and we will see that we will be ready to fight for the Scudetto.”
Mancini was key in unlocking Toure’s attacking threat that wasn’t seen in his Barcelona days. The former Monaco man still has more than two years remaining on his contract and could sign a new one as he is indispensable to Manchester City. He is still only 31, which could mean that Mancini and Inter could find it hard to convince him to leave City who are consistently challenging for honours every season. Inter are still some way of a Champions League spot, which could be key in convincing Toure to join them. Another key factor that could play against Mancini is the presence of Manuel Pellegrini at City. Much of what City have done in the last two seasons has been around Toure and his goals and assist return underlines that fact.
City have struggled in this month as Yaya Toure’s absence has hit them hard. The midfielder is on international duty with Ivory Coast in the Africa Cup of Nations.