I Nearly Joined Arsenal In 2003, Says Yaya Toure

Former Manchester City star Yaya Toure has disclosed that he nearly joined Arsenal in 2003 under former manager Arsene Wenger.

Yaya was eager to join his brother Kolo at Arsenal, who had previously secured his own contract the previous year after a successful trial.

However, a slight issue in his paperwork later delayed Yaya’s permanent move to the Gunners.
Speaking with Ferdinand, Yaya expressed his frustration on the failed move as he agreed on a subsequent move to Ukraine before later on his career returning to the Premier League where he became a club legend with Manchester City.

“Yeah, no, because in the beginning, I think the problem was the paperwork because at that time, when I remember, it was… You have to play 75% in the national team if you don’t have the passport, European passport, or you have to have a European passport to play in England and that was the path,” he explained to Ferdinand regarding why Wenger didn’t secure his signature.

“Arsene was willing to let me go back to Belgium to carry on for, I think, one more year or two years to get the Belgian passport because at that time, I was not playing in the national team, A team.”

“And in my mind, I was like, it’s time for me to go abroad, test myself and try something different,” he explained.