If Yaya Toure is to leave Manchester City this season, it would bring the curtain down on a wonderful period for both the club and the player.
When former chief executive Garry Cook brought the Ivorian to East Manchester for £24 million back in 2010, City were yet to shake off their tag as underachievers. They were two years into Sheikh Mansour’s ownership, but they had won nothing. City’s squad had improved, but it lacked the spark needed to establish a winning mentality, that world-class player with drive and leadership who could provide match-winning qualities.
Toure’s arrival was the catalyst for a period of huge success.