After winning the Premier League title last year, Manchester City has looked far from the side that battled for the top spot all season long last year. Despite sitting third in the table, they’re eight points behind a top-of-the-table Chelsea side that doesn’t look to be dropping matches any time soon.
Among the many under-performing Blues is Ivorian midfielder Yaya Toure. The world-class midfielder was among the best players in the world last year and the best player on City’s title-winning side.
However, a tumultuous summer involving transfer demands and forgotten birthday cakes reportedly had the big man ready to jump ship. After committing to the future of City, the rumors have hardly died this season, most recently an article from Goal stating Toure’s willingness for a move to French super club PSG.
"“We don’t know,” [Yaya Toure] told RMC when questioned about a move to Les Parisiens. “The most important thing is to continue my job, you do not know what might happen tomorrow.”“It’s always an objective to play at big clubs and win trophies. The most important thing is to continue to learn. You never close the door to a big club.”"
Among talking about a move to another club mid-season, this is also demeaning to City, who is a big club that he has won multiple trophies with.
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For City, it seems like the time is now to make a move. Given their current form, this is not a team that is set to win a title again this year, or any trophy for that matter. They’ve already been knocked out of the Capital One Cup, are all but eliminated from the Champions League, and are off pace for the Premier League trophy.
Toure is on the wrong side of his prime. By the end of most league seasons across the globe, Toure will be 32 years old. We’ve already seen him struggle to regain his world-class form of last year. If a club is willing to buy Toure, now is the time to sell. A team, say PSG, may be willing to overpay for Toure under the belief he can put them “over the top” in either their league title chase or in a run for another domestic trophy.
It’s always hard to admit defeat. Perhaps City can find the replacement for Toure this window, or instead suit up for a big summer run at another big-name target like a Paul Pogba, Arturo Vidal, or Ross Barkley, or even fulfill the long-rumored chase for Marco Reus.
Either way, the time is now, City. Sell Toure, net what you can for him, and move on.