The French elite division outfit has opened up on why they declined to follow up on their bid to get the 37-year-old midfielder
French elite division outfit Brest have revealed why they turned down the chance to sign Manchester City legend Yaya Toure.
The former Cote d’Ivoire captain, a free agent after leaving Chinese side Qingdao Huanghai last November, is not ready to hang up his boots just yet despite his achievements in the beautiful sport.
According to reports, the four-time African Player of the Year has approached the Pirates during the latest transfer window, however, he was rejected.
In a chat with SportMania, the Brest’s sporting director Gregory Lorenzi disclosed why the four-time African Player of the Year was not handed a contract.
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“Yaya Toure was not necessarily what we were looking for,” said Lorenzi.
“I spoke with people who saw this idea as interesting because it could make people talk about Brest. But I was wondering, facing my coach, if a player like that could be easy to handle in the dressing room.
“With regard to the other [squad] players, it could have been complicated so we preferred not to follow up.”
With this development, the 37-year-old will try his luck elsewhere in his bid to return to action.
Yaya had been linked with Brazilian elite division side Botafogo, however, he decided not to join the Serie A side owing to family reasons. A decision that enraged vice-president Ricardo Rotenberg.
“Vasco’s offer proves Yaya doesn’t want to play football, because he agreed to play just next year,” said Rotenberg as per Globoesporte.
“He’s a guy whose word means nothing. He had an attitude from those who have no character. He could just have said he didn’t want to play here.
“Now I don’t want to see him. As Heleno de Freitas [a Botafogo’s idol] said, Botafogo is not a team for cowards.”
After spells at Beveren, Metalurh Donetsk and Olympiacos, the midfielder spent three seasons with Barcelona. There, he won the Spanish elite division title as well as the Champions League.
He moved to City in 2010 and inspired the Citizens to three English topflight crown, two League Cup successes and one FA Cup triumph – with his goal in the 2011 final getting the Etihad Stadium giants on the trophy trail.
