Kolo Toure has acknowledged that going to the African Nations Cup with Ivory Coast could damage his chances of earning a new Liverpool deal. The centre-back -- who arrived at Anfield on a free transfer after being released by Manchester City in 2013 -- is out of contract at the end of the season.
There have been no talks to extend Toure's Anfield stay, and the defender has admitted that his future at the club is out of his hands. He is set to play a part for the Reds when they travel to League Two side AFC Wimbledon in the FA Cup third round on Monday -- but will then head to Africa to join up with his country at the African Nations Cup which will be held in Equatorial Guinea between Jan. 17 and Feb. 8.
33-year-old Toure is hoping that representing his country will not harm his chances of a Liverpool deal. The former Arsenal and Manchester City defender told the Liverpool Echo: "I know that while I'm in Africa other players will play [for Liverpool] and I won't be able to help the team. All I can do is go there, do my best, then come back and fight to show that I'm still a top player.
"If I get the chance to stay for another year, I will be happy -- but it's not up to me. If I was going to stay, I would maybe have expected to hear something by now. I don't think too much about the future. I will enjoy every single minute at this club and keep giving 100 percent."
Toure could miss as many as eight Liverpool matches while at the African Nations Cup, which will be his final tournament with Ivory Coast as he will retire from international football afterwards.
"My career has been great. I've played for three fantastic clubs. If I can continue playing for this amazing club, I would love that -- but if I need to go somewhere else to keep playing then I will," Toure added.
The Ivorian defender, who rejected the chance to join Turkish side Trabzonspor last summer in order to fight for an Anfield place, said that turning down a place at the African Nations Cup was not an option for him.
"This kind of situation when you leave your club during the season is always difficult," he said. "What do you do as a player? It's tough. You don't like to miss matches for your club. But when the time comes, for us as Africans, we want to make our continent and our country proud. At the end of the day, I'm African, I'm from the Ivory Coast. If I get a call from my country I have to go. I am finished after this. I hope I will finish on a high.
Toure said he hopes to go out on a high from international football. "It's been 15, 16 years for me in the national team with lots of ups and downs. I hope the greatest moment for me in international football is still to come."