Yaya Toure agrees new one-year contract at Manchester City to stay for eighth season to complete remarkable turnaround
It appeared the Ivorian's days at the Etihad were numbered after a very public falling out with boss Pep Guardiola
YAYA TOURE has agreed a new one-year deal to stay at Manchester City.
It represents a remarkable change of fortune for the Ivory Coast midfielder, with his days looking numbered at the club earlier this season after a very public fall out with boss Pep Guardiola.
The Ivorian midfielder joined City from Barcelona in 2010 and has been an integral figure in the six trophies the club has won during that time.
His current deal expired at the end of the 2016/17 season, but he will now extend his stay with the Blues to an eighth campaign.
Speaking to the , Toure said: “I’m delighted. I told myself the journey at city is not done and when I received a call from Txiki [Begiristan, director of football] and talked to the manager I was very delighted.
"When I was first coming here [in 2010] I was trying to be part of a new story, of something special at this club. I am very lucky now to be part of a great club with great players around me who are helping me to achieve my targets.
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"Of course I want to win trophies, that is very important to me. I want to enjoy it at this age still and remaining here is a massive, massive thing.
"It is a great club, going in the right direction with new players who are coming in. Our mentality is always to win week in, week out and I’m delighted with the fans as well.”
Yaya’s place in the Blues history is assured.
It was his goals that won the FA Cup semi-final and FA Cup final in 2011, and his brace at Newcastle in the penultimate game of the 2011/12 season set up the final day triumph against QPR.
He scored 24 goals in the 2013/14 title triumph as well as scoring a spectacular goal against Sunderland in the Capital One Cup final, and it was his penalty that secured the same trophy against Liverpool in 2016.
With 299 games under his belt and 81 goals, he is one of City’s highest scoring midfielders of all time.
But the 33-year-old did not play in a Premier League game until November 19 – when he scored both goals in a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace.
Before then Pep suggested that the Ivorian star lacked the required levels of fitness.
But following a knee injury suffered by new signing Ilkay Gundogan in December Toure was given regular appearances again.
And towards the end of the season, Guardiola described his form as “outstanding.”
But the new deal is likely to be much less than the current £100,000-a-week the Ivorian currently picks up at City.