It looks like midfielder Yaya Touré still relishes the challenges of Premier League football, following reports that he turned down a 430,000-pound weekly salary offer from a Chinese Super League club. The Ivorian, whose current contract with Manchester City ends in the summer, has long been a key figure at the Etihad.
Touré, known for his towering presence in City's midfield, appeared ready to go when new manager Pop Guardiola opted to leave him out of his first-team plans. However, both player and manager have since made up, enabling him to feature regularly once more in the club's recent games.
As Touré enters his contract's last six months, he appears to remain passionate playing in England in snubbing the massive offer to ply his trade in the Far East. The approach from China wasn't the first for the retired Ivory Coast national. He rejected a similar offer last summer, the BBC reported.
A departure looked all but certain for Touré in his later years with City. Fans would point to his bizarre rant in 2014, alleging that the club disrespected him by not greeting him on his birthday despite footage of him being given a cake for the occasion, as a crucial pivot to his potential exit.
Nonetheless, Touré enjoys an iconic reputation in the eyes of City fans, what with his critical contributions to the club's recent domestic successes. His role in midfield regains its much-needed emphasis as summer signing Ilkay Gundogan continues his season-long recovery from his cruciate ligament injury.
Touré's association with outrageous transfer talks involving the Chinese Super League is not the first for a player of his caliber. The likes of Oscar and Axel Witsel have opted to sign for big-money contracts with Chinese clubs this winter, while Diego Costa remains within Tianjin Quanjian FC's radar.