Manchester City fans must hold their baited breaths for a few more weeks after Yaya Toure and his agent spoke about a birthday snub that’s threatening his future with the club.
On Tuesday, Toure’s agent, Dimitri Seluk, said the Ivorian midfielder was furious because neither the club’s owners nor staff members wished him a happy 31st birthday on May 13.
“I don’t know,” Seluk told Sky Sports. “Yaya will speak personally to staff, and after that, we will make a decision.
“But nobody has apologized from the staff yet. If they don’t want Toure, then he can leave at any moment, no problem. Yaya is concentrating on the World Cup, but if Man City is not respecting the player, how can he be motivated to play for that team?
“Many clubs would be interested in him. There would be no problem finding a job.”
Manchester City won the Premier League title on May 11. Two days later, the entire squad flew to the U.A.E. to celebrate with owner Sheikh Mansour, chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak and other club bosses.
Toure was instrumental throughout Manchester City’s triumphant Premier League campaign, earning an array of player of the year nominations in the process. Yet Mansour, Muburak and others seemingly forgot to recognize their star player on his special day.
Toure used Twitter to send a cryptic response to the news that could rock Manchester City. Toure first joked about the birthday snub, but he then defended his agent’s remarks.
[tweet https://twitter.com/Toure_yaya42/status/468737910897131520 align=’center’]
[tweet https://twitter.com/Toure_yaya42/status/468752594631143424 align=’center’]
Toure will play for Ivory Coast at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Ivory Coast was drawn into Group C, along with Colombia, Greece and Japan.
The earliest Toure’s World Cup adventure can end would be June 24. The summer transfer window opens July 1.
Photo via Facebook/Manchester City FC
