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Yaya Toure again puts Manchester City future in doubt by saying he 'doesn't know' if he'll stay

Ivorian midfielder admits he struggled during 2014

Tom Sheen
Friday 16 January 2015 15:57 GMT
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Yaya Toure converts a first-half penalty to double City's lead
Yaya Toure converts a first-half penalty to double City's lead

Yaya Toure has shrouded his Manchester City future into yet more doubt after saying he doesn;t know if he will be at the Etihad next season.

The midfielder, now on international duty at the African Cup of Nations with the Ivory Coast, has been at the centre of much speculation after the infamous birthday cake saga and then the death of his brother Ibrahim.

He was asked by CNN if he wanted to stay at the club and said: "That's a big question and that's an easy question as well, and you have an easy answer... we'll see.

"I don't know (if I'll stay). I'm at City at the moment," the 31-year-old added, laughing. "City is a great club where I've achieved lots of things."

Speaking at a press conference back in Manchester, his manager Manuel Pellegrini had no concerns.

"I think Yaya is 100 per cent committed with our team and with this team," said the Chilean. "I don't have any doubts about that."

Toure added: "It's only football that keeps me peaceful. It's only the feeling of going after the ball that makes me happy. It's only once I see the City fans singing my name and the manager told me I want to cover, to take more space, it makes me feel happy and it's all I want."

The news of his brother's death was revealed to him during the World Cup in Brazil. "2014 was, I think I can say, a horrible year for me," he said.

"It was disappointing in the World Cup. Of course, we won the Premier League and the cup this year but I think with the death of my brother it was a hard one, the hardest one because I was not preparing to support such a situation.

"In the family you have one who you love, one who you care about above all the rest and I think Ibrahim was this guy. When he passed away ... that time was quite difficult because we have the beginning of this season in the Premier League and to manage that was difficult."

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