Yaya Toure has regularly express his desire to leave Manchester City this summer…
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Manchester City are preparing for life without Yaya Toure, as they prepare to move for Everton youngster Ross Barkley, as well as Juventus and France star Paul Pogba.
The Manchester Evening News has claimed that City have no intention of selling their prize asset this summer, but are realistic in their need to plan for the future.
Toure is due for talks with club officials over his future before the club’s second match of their summer tour of the United States on 27 July.
The player has grown disgruntled this summer after claiming the Manchester club failed to acknowledge his birthday, and prevented him from visiting his dying brother before he passed away.
However, regardless of whether the 31-year-old decides to stay at the club this summer, City have determined that is time to begin seeking out a long term replacement for Toure.
The Blues have kept a watching brief on Pogba but have not sounded out his club Juventus about the availability of their 21-year-old star. He would fit the bill perfectly, as a dynamic box-to-box midfielder who has upped his goalscoring rate.
The fact that he also qualifies as a home-grown player, due to his three seasons with Manchester United at Old Trafford, simply adds to the attraction for any English club aiming to sign him.
City have already put out feelers about 20-year-old England ace Barkley, but Everton quoted a price that is believed to have priced out Manuel Pellegrini’s side, who are restricted by a transfer spending cap of £49million imposed by UEFA as part of their punishment for breaching financial fair play rules.
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