Out of the many signings Manchester City have made since their injection of petro dollars, there is a very strong argument that there have been none more important than that of Yaya Toure.
It’s between the Ivorian midfielder and the brilliant Sergio Aguero and Aguero probably just gets the nod because it was him, after all, that scored the famous goal which brought City their first Premier League title.
Quite simply, though, Yaya Toure is a beast. A giant of a man graced with the touch of a nimble Spanish midfielder he is near impossible to stop in open play. Not only that but he knows where the goal is, too, and this season it is clear that he has been working on his free kicks – scoring no less than three this season already.
It is almost unfair for opposing players when they see Toure flying at them in the open field as they have no choice but to try and tackle him but the result inevitably ends in the mammoth midfielder steamrolling whoever may be in front of them.
Toure was signed from Barcelona for £24m in 2010 and considering what he has provided City with that fee looks like something of a bargain. Interestingly, he was often deployed as a center back at Barcelona but Mancini used him as a defensive midfielder with a license to go forward when necessary.
Anyway, here is a video of some of Toure’s finest moments and for me the moment that encapsulates all of the man’s qualities is at the 2:40 mark.