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Man City want Kolo Toure to bolster back four
Andrew Fifield27.07.09
Manchester City are to step up their pursuit of Arsenal defender Kolo Toure this week.
Toure has moved to the top of City's list of defensive targets after they missed out on Chelsea captain John Terry, who has committed his future to the club.
The Ivory Coast international's brother, Yaya, told the Evening Standard on Friday that he felt City were too small a club for Kolo, but a fee of around £15million may be enough to tempt Arsenal to sell a player who has just one year remaining on his current contract.
Toure is likely to be offered around £120,000-a-week - twice his salary at Emirates Stadium - to move to Eastlands, where he would link up with former Gunners striker Emmanuel Adebayor.
Toure asked to be placed on the transfer list in January after a bust-up with fellow defender William Gallas and, while he finished the season as a first-team regular, he would be likely to jump at City's lucrative offer.
The 28-year-old is with the rest of Arsenal's squad in Austria, where they face Hungarian side Szombathelyi Haladas in a friendly tonight, but will be allowed to leave to talk to City if they table a formal offer.
If Mark Hughes is unable to persuade Toure that City are big enough to match his ambitions, then he may turn his attentions to West Ham's Matthew Upson as he looks for more cover in defence.
Reader views (10)
Osa - I think you miss the point, I like the African players, but they will be missing for the second half of the season due to the African Nations cup & as a result Arsenal will suffer. Im not quite sure what an 'ingrate' is??? Hence £25 million for Ade & £15m for Toure seems pretty good business to me. Evs - You sound like a bitter Spurs fan. I cant fathom out your rantings? The only teams higher than us are in enormous debt to finance the purchase of their clubs, players & their wages. Arsenal's debt in comparison is small & financed by the superb new stadium, thanks to Arsene Wenger. I cant think of a club in the worlds that wouldnt want Arsene Wenger, well maybe one !
- Rob Gooner, North London
"I Think Jim Ex pat comments are out of order" Whatever these players have done for Arsenal Football Club in the past has no bearing on the coming season if Manchester City are prepared to pay 15 million pounds for Toure we should sell him,Eboue has not had the best of seasons so I think we should also sell him to,the added bonus of selling these players means we dont lose them during the African nations cup,which is held in January,to me that is not out of order that is good buisness.Mr Bean if you are as I suspect a disgruntled Spurs supporter stick to your own teams paltry news.
- Jim Ex Pat,Islington N1, thailand
Rob Gooner, you sound like an ingrate forgeting so soon how african players have served your cause and you expect these crop of players to remain loyal with low lifes like you around as supporters.
- Osa Novia, London,UK
Wether Arsenal have African players or not, they will not win anything next season. I also think Jim Ex pat comment is also out of order considering these players have served you in the past.
- Bean, London
All your players seem to be great until you sell them,"more great planning from Wenger"you should be planning for the championship in 3 years !
- Nick, manchester uk
rob the deluded gooner,gallas is a dummy spitter and silvestre is well past it ,that is why fergie got rid of him,and the amazing Wenger has NOT won a trophy for nearly 5 years..yes truly superb.. a few weeks ago you were saying he lost the plot..how many years will it take for your superb so called young guns too mature..most of them will hardly get a senior game and will end up in the lower leagues...Fact
- Evs, herts
Barry - yes its the 'superb' Arsene Wenger who has transformed Arsenal, giving us state of the art training facillities & an excellent new stadium. Having won many trophies in the past, we are looking forward patiently to his bright young team maturing into winners. Many teams, including Real Madrid, would love to have him at the helm.
- Rob Gooner, North London
We should sell toure for 15million,we should also sell Eboue,the African Nations Cup is a hard tournament played on bad pitches and in hot conditions,coming as it does in January it will affect our run in.Wenger should clear out these players and replace them with non African players.This season we will need all of the squad to be available,we cannot afford to lose two players who will come back jaded and possibly injured at such an important time of the season.
- Jim Ex Pat,Islington N1, thailand
Is this the same superb Arsenal manager who hasn't won a bean in recent years?
- Barry, Bedford England
If we can get £15 million for Toure I will be amazed. he caught malaria & wasnt up to his usual standard last season. With the African Nations cup in January we will lose him for a few weeks, indeed during the last tournament he picked up an injury, he & his fellow african players returned in a jaded condition. Having already sold Adebayor & with reports of Toure & Eboue also being sold, I think Arsene Wenger has taken this tournament into account whilst planning for the forthcoming season. Our four centre backs for next season look like being Gallas, Vermaelen, Djourou & Sylvestre, providing a good balance of youth & experience. Sounds like more excellent planning from the superb Arsenal manager.
- Rob Gooner, North London
