West Ham are in talks to sign former Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure, according to the Daily Mail.
The national newspaper claim that the 35-year-old, who is a free agent, is keen to be reunited with Manuel Pellegrini at the London Stadium.
The Daily Mail report that the Hammers are confident of a deal being struck even though the central midfielder earned £220,000-a-week playing for Man City in the 2017/18 campaign, as he would have to accept a pay cut to make the move happen.
OPINION
Toure has consistently been linked to the Hammers ever since his former boss rocked up at the London Stadium but this is the first time a report has gone as far to say that talks have begun. The 35-year-old midfielder would bring a serial-winning attitude, having racked up the trophies at Man City, to the club but it’s hard to see what else. While Pellegrini clearly knows the player well from their time at Man City together, the new Hammers boss should looking to add young legs to his midfield. Last season the Hammers’ reliance on using older legs in the heart of their team was exposed due to their lack of mobility and pace in that department. Toure probably won’t be a guaranteed first-team starter for the club by any means for that reason but then it’s also hard to see how a player of his stature would be happy rooted to the bench. Hopefully this story is just another incorrect Toure link as despite his prestigious Premier League history, he’s just not the right for the club’s new direction.
