Toure tantrum to trouble Txiki at City

Yaya Toure has been linked with a spectacular move away from Manchester City, following rumours there had been a rift with the player. Manuel Pellegrini’s men are 7/4 favourites to reclaim the title next season, though their odds would drop if a player of Toure’s calibre left.

He is 1/5 to resolve the situation and stay at the Etihad, and 3/1 to leave and be tempted elsewhere.

News comes as it was revealed that City’s star midfielder was angry that his employers took so long to offer him a new deal last year, although the icing on the cake for Toure is that no one at the club wished him “happy birthday” recently.

Having turned 31, Toure’s agent Dimitry Seluk claimed that no one from City paid the player respects at a team event in Abu Dhabi to celebrate the Premier League title win.

Seluk said: “Yaya is so upset he’s thinking of leaving City.

“There are a number of things that have happened that have left Yaya feeling bitterly upset. He must concentrate on the World Cup now. But City have treated him with disrespect and have really hurt him.”

The Ivorian will want to resolve the situation before he heads out to the World Cup, and key to any negotiations could be Manchester City sporting director Txiki Begiristain, who was at Barcelona with the player.

Understandably, no one within the City hierarchy will want Toure to leave, however the player has reportedly said he would take a pay-cut, which would boost his chances of plying his trade elsewhere.

He was the leading scorer for the club in the Premier League last season with 20 goals and he will not be short of takers, around Europe. His old side Barca could have done with his influence last campaign, as they came up short in the chase for the La Liga title.

Pep Guardiola knows what he can do, having been a coach at the Catalan club when Toure was there, and would not have to think twice about offering him a contract at Bayern Munich. The German club are arguably short of a leader in the middle of the park, and the robust, industrious Ivorian would certainly fit the bill.