Manuel Pellegrini insists that Yaya Touré can find a “new challenge” at Manchester City after the midfielder put his future in doubt this week.
While Touré could yet stay at City, his comments earlier this week saying he was open to “new challenges” hinted that the Ivorian may depart this summer. But Pellegrini insisted the champions are able to provide what Touré desires.
“Maybe a new challenge is City also,” said the manager. “There are lot of different places you can have it. City also is a challenge and I am sure Yaya is very happy here.
“We have a project here. Every year we are trying to improve. Maybe you cannot win titles every year but I think the project of the club is to improve the squad, to improve as a club so there are lot of important things and I think it is an important challenge.”
Asked directly about the claims of Dimitri Seluk, Touré’s agent, that “some people at City are trying to blame Yaya for what has happened this season” and that Pellegrini was a “weak manager”, the Chilean said: “You already asked me last press conference the same question. I say the same answer. I don’t talk about Yaya’s agent. Everyone can talk what he wants.”
Pellegrini will again be without Vincent Kompany for Aston Villa’s visit on Saturday evening because of injury. The captain is one of a quartet of players who is ruled out. “We have injured Kompany, [Gaël] Clichy, [Samir] Nasri and Stevan Jovetic. David [Silva] and [James] Milner worked the whole week without any problems. Kun [Agüero] also worked.”
City are seven points ahead of fifth-placed Liverpool, who have a match in hand, and one behind Manchester United. Asked what challenge Villa will provide, Pellegrini said: “Similar to the way they play against Arsenal.
“With Tim Sherwood they try to make a good buildup, to play more as an offensive team. We are used to playing against teams that have eight or nine behind the ball so we don’t have any problem.
“We have so many ways to play, with two strikers, with one striker, with no striker, with two midfielders against the striker as we did against West Ham. It depends on the way they play. We have to continue our style.”
