‘Yaya Toure like Zlatan, Messi, Ronaldo’ says Roberto Mancini

Yaya Toure of Manchester City during the Nelson Mandela Football Invitational match between AmaZulu and Manchester City at Moses Mabhida Stadium on July 18, 2013 in Durban, South Africa. (Photo by Anesh Debiky/Gallo Images)

FORMER Inter Milan manager Roberto Mancini has likened Yaya Toure’s impact on a team to that of superstars Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Toure’s future under new Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola appears bleak following the Spaniard’s decision to exclude the four-time African Player of The Year from his squad to compete in the UEFA Champions League against Barcelona, Borussia Monchengladbach and Celtic.

While still at the helm of Inter, Mancini looked to lure the 33-year-old to the San Siro after labelling him as ‘one of the greatest midfielders in the game’.

“Yaya was always one of my goals,” Mancini told Corriere dello Sport. “We had almost sealed his purchase with president Erick Thohir a year ago, then he preferred not to betray Manchester City, where I took him.

“Toure, like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, is one of those players who can make the difference, who can change the outcome of a season by themselves like Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.” Kickoff.com

Follow us on Twitter on @FingazLive and on Facebook – The Financial Gazette