Man Utd and Arsenal want Yaya Toure

Manchester United are interested in signing out of favour midfielder Yaya Toure from rivals Manchester City, according to reports.

Sky Sports is reporting that Toure’s agent Dimitri Seluk has confirmed that both Manchester United and Arsenal are interested in signing Yaya Toure, with the Ivory Coast midfielder way down the pecking order at the Etihad this season, but he also says any such deal is impossible as Manchester City will not allow the player to move to a rival club.

Toure is yet to feature under new City manager Pep Guardiola this season, and the 32-year-old would be keen to move away from the club if his current situation does not improve.

It was reported throughout the summer that former City boss Roberto Mancini wanted to sign him for Inter Milan, but the club’s owners were less than enthralled with the prospect of signing a player of Toure’s age on such huge wages. And Mancini has since been sacked by the Italian club, so that avenue would now appear to be completely closed.

Toure played under Guardiola for one season at Barcelona, winning a treble of La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League under the Catalan tactician in 2009. But Toure was sold to City that same summer, and there was speculation around whether the two men would be able to work together at the Etihad this season; it now appears that Guardiola has deemed Toure surplus to requirements.