Russian giants Anzhi Makhachkala are set to make a bid for want-away Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure in the summer, according to the Daily Mail. The 29-year-old is expected to cost Anzhi more than £24m, with the player having arrived from Barcelona for a similar fee in 2010.

Yaya Toure
Reuters

The former Catalans star is yet to sign a new contract with the champions and his agent, Dimitri Seluk, has threatened that the 29-year-old would leave the club at the end of the season, if his future is not secured this weekend. Chelsea are also understood to have shown an interest in the player but City remain confident that a truce can be reached with the player and his agent.

The Ivory Coast International is currently earning £220,000 a week at the Etihad, with two years left on his current contract. Should City fail to reach an agreement with the player, Anzhi, who are among the few clubs able to afford the player's massive wages, are set to move in along with Real Madrid, who are also interested.

City are expected to go for a revamp in the summer, with several players expected to make their way out. However, Toure, who has been their standout player over the past couple of seasons, is not on the list.

Soriano Explains City's Youth Plans

City chief executive Ferran Soriano has revealed the club are in for the long haul and would be looking to invest in youth and infrastructure, so as to sustain themselves in light of the Financial Fair Play rules that are set to be implemented from 2014.

"My way of football? One year you can win with luck, but in the long-term you need planning and investments to reach the final of the Champions League. In 2003, we did a study at Barcelona. For each player delivered to the first team from the cantera [academy] there was an average cost of €2.4m [£2m]. That's nothing if you think of the current costs in the game. Even at the age of five years you should get the style of the club, then the rewards will come," Soriano said

"In the last three years there have been losses of €235m [£199m], then of €118m [£100m] and now there is a 'red line' of €59m [£50] [imposed by Uefa's financial fair-play regime. But we also have just invested €150m [£127m] for the infrastructure of our youth system - [the Etihad Campus]. It's a fantastic project, focusing on financial sustainability," he added.

Real Madrid