Manchester City midfielder came close to leave his club for Inter Milan this summer before he changed his mind, according to Roberto Mancini.
Mancini, who worked with the Ivory coast international at Manchester City, revealed to La Gazzetta dello Sport (via Goal.com) that he nearly signed the Ivorian before the player changed his mind.
“He wanted to come here, then changed his mind. Yaya Toure would’ve totally changed the team. He’s a player of a superior level. With him we would’ve made an enormous step forward in every aspect.”
Mancini also revealed the Inter's pursuit of Paulo Dybala and Mario Balotelli and said that Inter are behind Roma, Napoli and Juventus.
“Paulo Dybala was also an objective, one of the first targets. There were two or three clubs after him and in the end Juventus got there.
"I admit it's true [that he considered Balotelli]. I thought about it when we were, hypothetically, thinking about a change for Icardi."I thought about him because he has to go back to being what he was. But then AC Milan came."
“The big teams must always start off with the aim of reaching the top and Inter are a big team. Maybe we might not have the same chances initially as Juve and Roma, who have been up there for years with players who’ve been together for a while, but we always aim for the highest branch," he added.
“I’d say Inter and Milan are on a par, as Roma, Napoli and Juventus are still ahead of us."
“I talk to President Erick Thohir often, on the phone at least twice a week and he also sends me text messages. It was different with Massimo Moratti because he was in Milan, but Thohir is an important presence too," Mancini continued.
“Did he ask me for Champions League qualification? Of course. Anything below third place wouldn’t be good, let’s say.”
Source: DSG
