Manchester City’s hierarchy wil meet with Yaya Toure before the World Cup to sort out dramas

MANCHESTER City’s director of football Txiki Begiristain will hold peace talks with Yaya Toure before the World Cup.

MANCHESTER City’s director of football Txiki Begiristain will hold peace talks with Yaya Toure before the World Cup in an attempt to head off further trouble with the Ivory Coast midfielder.

Toure’s agent Dimitry Seluk attracted widespread ridicule on Tuesday by claiming that the player could quit City this summer because he felt the new Premier League champions and their owner Sheik Mansour did not make enough of an effort to celebrate his 31st birthday during a post-season trip to Abu Dhabi last week.

TOURE WANTS HIS CAKE AND TO EAT IT TOO

There are concerns that Seluk is trying to engineer a return to Barcelona for his client, who left the Nou Camp in a £24million deal in 2010 and has since established himself as one of City’s best players, as well as one of the best paid.

Toure scored 24 goals from 49 appearances last season as Manuel Pellegrini’s side regained the title and lifted the Capital One Cup.

City have taken a firm stance by insisting Toure will not be sold as he still has three years left on a £200,000-a-week contract signed 12 months ago. However, they want to maintain a conciliatory approach and are anxious not to let the problem escalate following claims from Toure that he will issue a statement after the World Cup.

Begiristain was already planning to be in Brazil for the tournament but his priority will now be to set up talks with the player to smooth things over.

Toure arrived in Dallas from Qatar yesterday with the rest of the Ivory Coast squad to prepare for warm-up games against Bosnia and El Salvador.

It is understood that City will counter accusations by Seluk that they have treated Toure ‘like a nobody’ and showed him no respect by reminding the player how he was given a lucrative new deal last year after more bizarre claims that he wanted to leave because there were not enough shirts bearing his name on sale in the club shop.

City also fought his case when he was subjected to racist abuse from CSKA Moscow fans in October, and lobbied for him to be named Player of the Year ahead of Liverpool striker Luis Suarez, who won the award.

Begiristain hopes to have more time on his hands in Brazil because City are confident that all their transfer business will be wrapped up before the tournament after chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak promised ‘an efficient and swift execution plan’.

They retain a strong interest in Eliaquim Mangala having failed to sign the FC Porto centre back before the transfer window closed in January. But they are growing concerned that the £35m-rated defender is dragging his feet after claiming that he would prefer to join Chelsea.

It is understood that City have two stand-by options, one of whom is Mehdi Benatia from Roma.

Originally published as Manchester City’s hierarchy wil meet with Yaya Toure before the World Cup to sort out dramas