Anzhi MakhachYaya... Super-rich Russian club eye up City's Toure after star's shock admission he wants to quit

Posted Saturday, March 23, 2013 by crystalpalace-mad.co.uk

Anzhi Makhachkala are showing interest in Manchester City's unsettled midfielder Yaya Toure.

The ambitious Russians have been alerted to news that the 29-year-old could be willing to leave unless discussions over a new contract are resolved.

Toure's agent, Dimitri Seluk, even gave today as a deadline for an agreement to be reached threatening that otherwise his client would be off in the summer.

Anzhi MakhachYaya... Super-rich Russian club eye up City's Toure after star's shock admission he wants to quit
On his way? Russian club Anzhi could bid for Yaya Toure, who could leave City over the lack of contract talks

Toure, who was signed for £24million in 2010, still has two years left on a £220,000 a week contract and only recently declared his desire to stay at the club. Talks over an extension began last year but have since stalled.

City remain confident that a solution can be reached but are concerned at the timing ahead of an FA Cup semi final and the climax to the Premier League season.

Anzhi are one of the few clubs who can match and improve Toure's wages but coach Guus Hiddink has underlined they are reluctant to pay over the odds for players.

Anzhi MakhachYaya... Super-rich Russian club eye up City's Toure after star's shock admission he wants to quit
Super-rich: But Anzhi boss Guus Hiddink does not want the club to pay over the odds for players

Real Madrid and Chelsea have also been linked but both clubs would struggle to improve on Toure's current contract and pay a transfer fee of around £25m.
That would leave the likes of Anzhi, Zenit St Petersburg and Paris Saint-Germain as the only other main candidates able to afford him.

Plans are afoot to overhaul City's squad this summer with sporting director Txiki
Begiristain keen to recuit around five new players.

Several of the current squad are expected to be offloaded including high-profile names such as Samir Nasri, Edin Dzeko and Joleon Lescott but Toure is not on that list.

Anzhi MakhachYaya... Super-rich Russian club eye up City's Toure after star's shock admission he wants to quit
Offloaded: England defender Joleon Lescott is expected to be on his way out of the Etihad Stadium

City do want to strengthen their engine room though with another defensive midfielder and a playmaker.

Scouts watched Sevilla midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia on Thursday night as he played for France U20s in their 3-1 win over Denmark while City are also admirers of Borussia Dortmund's Ilkay Gundogan.

Kondogbia, 20, is available for around £10m. He was also watched by Real Madrid and Juventus.