London, June 1 (IANS) Midfielder Yaya Toure on Monday confirmed that he will stay at Manchester City and said he was confident the English football club’s summer recruitment will see them vie for major honours next season.
The Ivory Coast star looked to be on his way out of City, following a trophy-less 2014-15 campaign, and was linked in reports with clubs including Inter Milan and Chelsea.
Toure’s agent had earlier said the player would remain with City, having been assured he was a key figure in the club’s future by owner Sheikh Mansour.
“I will definitely stay. The fans don’t have to be worried. My target this year is to try to do everything possible to make this team improve well,” the 32-year-old was quoted as saying by dailymail.co.uk.
“I am sure with my experience, maybe I hope, with the players coming in a couple of weeks, a couple of months, definitely it is going to be a strong City next year.”
City finished eight points adrift of champions Chelsea in the recently completed English Premier League (EPL) season, and Toure has his eyes set not only on regaining the top domestic silverware but also on European glory.
“It is one of my big targets because City have been in the shadow of United for so long. Sometimes their fans are coming back, saying we are the top because we have already won the Champions League,” he said.
“What I want for the fans is the Champions League. I will do everything that’s possible.”
Toure has not been at his best this term after a highly impressive 2012-13 season, but vowed to come back refreshed in August after a summer break, reports dailymail.co.uk.
“I am looking at next season and I will start working again, because last season there has been a lot of football for me,” said Toure, who played in last summer’s World Cup in Brazil and in Ivory Coast’s victorious 2015 African Nations Cup campaign in Equatorial Guinea.
He also had to deal with the loss of his brother Ibrahim to cancer last year.
“There were difficult moments as well emotionally and physically,” he added. “Now is a good time to rest and next season you are going to see the top one.”
