Friday 2 June 2017 06:25, UK
Yaya Toure has signed a new one-year deal with Manchester City which keeps him at the club for an eighth season.
Toure, whose previous contract was due to expire this summer, has agreed to spend an eighth season at the Etihad Stadium.
The four-time African Footballer of the Year was frozen out of the first-team squad early in the season after a row between his agent and City boss Pep Guardiola, but he returned to the side in November and finished with seven goals from 31 appearances.
Toure's arrival from Barcelona in 2010 kick-started an era of success for Sheikh Mansour's City which has so far yielded five major domestic trophies, including the Premier League title in 2012 and 2014.
And the 34-year-old told City's wesbite: "I'm delighted. I told myself the journey at City is not done and when I received a call from [director of football] Txiki Begiristain and talked to the manager I was very delighted.
"When I was first coming here I was trying to be part of a new story, of something special at this club. I am very lucky now to be part of a great club with great players around me who are helping me to achieve my targets.
"Of course I want to win trophies, that is very important to me. I want to enjoy it at this age still and remaining here is a massive, massive thing. It is a great club, going in the right direction with new players who are coming in. Our mentality is always to win week in, week out and I'm delighted with the fans as well."
Begiristain said: "Yaya has been a fantastic servant for Manchester City and continues to be a vital member of Pep Guardiola's squad.
"He is one of our most experienced and popular players and we couldn't be happier that he is staying with us as we embark on what we all hope will be a very exciting season.
"Yaya has been central to the successes we've had over the past seven years and he has a vital part play next season."
Toure's new deal is the latest piece of early summer business at City, who have already signed Bernardo Silva from Monaco and are closing on a record deal for Benfica goalkeeper Ederson.
A move for another Monaco player, full-back Benjamin Mendy, is also close while Southampton's Virgil van Dijk is a big-money target.
Guardiola's summer overhaul, on the back of his first trophyless season as a manager, has also seen Jesus Navas, Bacary Sagna, Gael Clichy, Pablo Zabaleta and Willy Caballero leave the club.
