West Ham United manager Manuel Pellegrini has confirmed that Yaya Toure will not be joining the club on a free transfer, reports The Independent.
What’s the word?
The Ivory Coast international made it clear when he left Manchester City at the end of last season that he wanted to stay in the Premier League.
However, it seems that there are no top-flight clubs willing to snap him up, despite the fact that the midfielder is a free agent.
West Ham seemed like an obvious link given that Toure’s former City manager Pellegrini took over from David Moyes at the London Stadium.
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However, the Chilean coach, who won the Premier League title with City, has ruled out a move for the former Barcelona man.
Pellegrini was quoted by The Independent as saying:
“Yaya is a very good player. In his position at this moment we have our players. He will always be a good player for any team, but for the moment he is not for West Ham. For the moment, the squad is complete.”
Did Pellegrini make the right decision?
There is no doubt that Toure had the ability to change a game in his prime, and he is still good enough to contribute in a team now.
However, at the age of 35, the Ivorian would have to settle for a bit-part role, which does not make much financial sense given that the midfielder is used to lucrative wages.
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Also, West Ham already have a handful of midfielders that can play Toure’s role, so he would be an option rather than a necessity.
The player also brings with him controversy, which was highlighted numerous times during his eight-year spell at City.
If West Ham want to take that next step, they cannot have any disruptive figures in the dressing room and it is a decision from Pellegrini that is just further confirmation that he is a class above his predecessors, Slaven Bilic and David Moyes.
