Yaya Toure is playing his eighth and final season with Manchester City.
The Ivorian will leave the club upon the expiration of his contract this summer, and is set for a farewell game against Brighton & Hove Albion next Wednesday.
"Yaya is not going to stay next season," manager Pep Guardiola revealed in Friday's press conference. "At the Brighton game we will make the focus winning and Yaya.
"We are going to try and win the game for him. We cannot forget we have magnificent facilities, but we cannot forget we are here because of the players.
"He came here, and we cannot forget that or what he has achieved for this club. For Roberto Mancini and Manuel Pellegrini, Yaya was a key, key player."
Not crying... Promise! 😭 #mancity
— Manchester City (@ManCity) May 4, 2018
💙 @YayaToure 💙 pic.twitter.com/O7sx8cDGZR
Toure followed Frank Lampard as the second midfielder to tally at least 20 goals in a single Premier League season in 2013-14, a campaign where the ex-Barcelona man was integral in leading City to the summit of English football. He was also instrumental in the 2011-12 Premier League success, notably scoring both goals in a win at Newcastle United to set up the dramatic title-clinching victory against Queens Park Rangers.
He has also flourished in the cup competitions. He smashed the match-winners against Manchester United in the semi-finals and Stoke City in the final of the FA Cup in his debut term with City, and also curled in a luscious effort against Sunderland in the 2014 League Cup showpiece. He hoisted the League Cup again in 2016 after converting the winning penalty in the shootout with Liverpool, and will lift the Premier League trophy once more following Sunday's meeting with Huddersfield Town.
Toure's performances unfortunately dipped in his final year playing for Pellegrini, and he has been used sporadically over Guardiola's two seasons at the helm. He hasn't started a match in the current Premier League campaign, making nine outings from the bench and weighing in with two assists.
Ahead of this weekend's action, Toure is credited with 229 Premier League appearances, 62 goals, and 150 wins since moving from Catalonia for around £24 million in 2010.
