Arsenal defender to join Manchester City
Published:Tuesday | July 28, 2009 | 3:22 PM
Arsenal defender Kolo Toure looks set to join Manchester City after the clubs agreed on a 14 million pound ($23 million) transfer fee, a person close to the transfer talks said today, according to a report on www.foxsportsworld.com.
The Ivory Coast international was heading to Manchester to negotiate personal terms and to undergo a medical examination, the person said. He was speaking on condition of anonymity because neither club was disclosing details of the move.
City wants Toure to bolster its central defense after failing to sign either John Terry from Chelsea or Joleon Lescott from Everton.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has confirmed that Toure could leave Arsenal despite featuring in a pre-season friendly last night in Hungary.
“We will see what’s happening in the next 24 hours, nothing is decided yet,” Wenger said.
Since joining Arsenal in 2002, Toure made 326 appearances in his seven seasons with Arsenal, scoring 14 goals.
The 28-year-old Toure nearly left Arsenal in January after a reported spat with fellow center back William Gallas, but he withdrew a transfer request and finished out the season.
Toure would be reunited at City with Emmanuel Adebayor, the Togo striker who left Arsenal earlier this month.