Who wants Yaya?
So Yaya Toure admits he wants a Premier League move - why haven't there been any takers?
They say the World Cup is every footballer's perfect shop window, so if Yaya Toure needed any further motivation going into the Ivory Coast's opener against Portugal inPort Elizabeth - which he shouldn't - he has it right there.
What Toure's second World Cup bow could hint at is just why he hasn't yet become the subject of an international bidding frenzy, with the Premier League's big guns poised but not yet pouncing, though there are a number of other factors to consider.
Arsenal have been a longtime link, with recent renewed speculation casting him as a makeweight in any deal for Cesc Fabregas. This would appear to be a decent deal for the Gunners, who need an imposing central midfielder as much as they have at any point since the 2006 departure of Patrick Vieira.
Chelsea have been strongly mooted too. His physicality is perfect for the Chelsea profile, and last season's injuries to John Obi Mikel showed how thin the Blues are in that area. Perhaps they are even a better fit for Yaya, more closely corresponding to his trophy-challenging expectations after three years at the Camp Nou than Arsene Wenger's men.
Briefly ignoring any financial issues, he could add steel to Manchester United or be a fine Javier Mascherano replacement should the Argentina international depart Liverpool.
His suitability for England seems in little doubt. His emergence onto the European scene as a genuine prospect coincided with his 2005 move to Olympiacos - his fame before then was limited to a series of glowing "my little brother" references from older sibling Kolo, himself already firmly ensconced in the Premier League with Arsenal.
The family connection made us take our eye off his future career map. Having already taken the well-worn Ivorian route into Europe via Belgian feeder club Beveren, the widely-held assumption was that it was a mere matter of time before he made his way north to join Kolo.
Source: Goal.com
