Football
Jonathan Smith, Manchester City correspondent 7y

Yaya Toure signs one-year extension with Manchester City

Yaya Toure will stay with Manchester City for another season after signing a one-year contract extension.

The Ivory Coast man, who joined from Barcelona in 2010, could have left for free with his current contract expiring at the end of June but he has now agreed a deal to stay at the Etihad Stadium.

Toure, 34, insisted after the final of the game of the season that he wanted to play at the club until he retires, immediately but City wanted to wait until they secured Champions League football before deciding on new deals.

"I'm delighted. I told myself the journey at City is not done and when I received a call from [director of football] Txiki Begiristain and talked to the manager I was very delighted," he told the club's website.

"When I was first coming here I was trying to be part of a new story, of something special at this club. I am very lucky now to be part of a great club with great players around me who are helping me to achieve my targets.

"Of course I want to win trophies, that is very important to me. I want to enjoy it at this age still and remaining here is a massive, massive thing.

"It is a great club, going in the right direction with new players who are coming in. Our mentality is always to win week in, week out and I'm delighted with the fans as well."

Toure is the only player of six senior players, whose deals expired in the summer, to sign a new contract.

It's a remarkable turnaround for a players whose City career appeared to be over when he was left out for the first three months of the season after comments from his agent Dimitri Seluk criticising manager Pep Guardiola. But he returned to the first team after apologising and has become an integral part of Guardiola's first season at City, following a long-term injury to Ilkay Gundogan.

Begiristain told the club website: "Yaya has been a fantastic servant for Manchester City and continues to be a vital member of Pep Guardiola's squad.

"He is one of our most experienced and popular players and we couldn't be happier that he is staying with us as we embark on what we all hope will be a very exciting season.

"Yaya has been central to the successes we've had over the past seven years and he has a vital part play next season."

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