Premier League outfit West Ham United have held talks with Manchester City regarding the potential transfer of Yaya Toure, according to reports. The veteran midfielder has been linked with a move out of Etihad this summer following yet another frustrating spell under Pep Guardiola.
The 35-year-old has launched a verbal attack on the Man City head coach for not recognising his talents on the pitch. He has even accused Guardiola of always having a problem with African players. In fact, he is even ready to join arch-rivals Manchester United for just £1-a-week in order to prove the Catalan wrong.
But that being said, Toure’s future at the Premier League is hanging in the balance with the player seemingly being offered to Chinese and US clubs.
The 35-year-old has been on the fringes of late, making only 35 league appearances in the past couple of seasons. In addition, his overall gameplay has also taken a huge hit as time progressed and the chances of him resurrecting his career are close to none.
However, West Ham United are considering offering the Ivorian a Premier League lifeline but newly appointed head coach Manuel Pellegrini is reluctant to do so on the wake of Toure’s comments on Guardiola.
The Argentine, who led Manchester City to a Premier League title back in 2014, is disturbed by Toure’s attitude and feels he can disrupt the environment of the dressing room.
On the flip side, however, Yaya Toure did enjoy one of his best spells at Manchester City under the leadership of Pellegrini. During his three years in charge of the club, he made almost 150 appearances in all competitions. As a matter of fact, he was actually one of the most key players for Manchester City during their title-winning campaign in the 2013/14 season.
West Ham United, on the other hand, have struggled with their limited resources in the midfield department in recent seasons.
While the reliable players in the likes of Mark Noble and Cheikhou Kouyate have failed to make any impact, of late, key midfielders in Pedro Obiang and Manuel Lanzini have suffered from injuries during the past 12 months.
Therefore, the addition of a new midfielder is imperative for the Hammers as they look to make an impression in the Premier League next season.
Having said that, Yaya Toure might prove to be a bad acquisition considering the fact that the Ivorian has already entered the final phase of his career and at the age of 35, he also lacks the mobility and pace to suit himself to Pellegrini’s expressive style on the pitch.
