How Arsenal Rejected a 20 Year Old Yaya Toure for Being 'Completely Average'

How Arsenal Rejected a 20 Year Old Yaya Toure for Being 'Completely Average'

Lukman Mumuni
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:07 PM
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  • Ivory Coast and Manchester City legend Yaya Toure came close to joining Arsenal when he was just 20
  • The soon-to-be named Tottenham youth team coach had a trial at Arsenal as a youngster but was not signed
  • Yaya Toure had an illustrious football career, winning several titles including the UEFA Champions League

Arsenal missed the chance of signing one of the best African footballers of all time, Yaya Toure, after former manager Arsene Wenger described him as 'completely average' while on trial.

A 20-year-old Yaya Toure in 20003 auditioned at Arsenal in hopes of playing for the North London club as he started his career in Europe.

However, the versatile Ivorian failed to convince Wenger in a pre-season friendly against Barnet.

Yaya Toure, Ivory Coast, Arsenal, Manchester City
Arsene Wenger has revealed why Arsenal failed to sign Yaya Toure in 2003. Credit: Getty Images
Source: Getty Images
"Yaya Toure is a top-class player, we knew that at the time," said Wenger as quoted by Daily Star. "The only problem was to fix him into a position because he can play everywhere.

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"He can play centre-back, as a second striker, as a midfielder and for a long time we didn't know where to play him. He played in a pre-season game at Barnet as a second striker - and he was completely average on the day."

Yaya Toure, whose senior brother Kolo Toure had signed for Arsenal at that time, left to join Ukrainian club Metalurh Donetsk.

After two years in Ukraine, Greek giants Olympiacos signed the Ivory Coast midfielder, but Toure spent only a season at the club as a mouthwatering offer from Monaco came in the summer of 2006.

His enormous talent earned him a move to Barcelona in 2007, where he became a key part of Pep Guardiola's 2009 UEFA Champions League winning team.

Yaya Toure finally made his dream English Premier League move to join Manchester City, where he played a vital role in the club winning it's first league title in over 50 years.

Yaya Toure set to be named Tottenham youth team coach

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that African football great, Yaya Toure, is set to be named Tottenham Hotspur youth team coach ahead of the 2022/23 season.

The Manchester City legend has been working with Tottenham's developmental team since December as he acquired his coaching badges.

And according to the Evening Standard, the 39-year-old is set to join the North London club's coaching staff on a permanent deal.

Authors
Lukman Mumuni photo
Lukman Mumuni
Lukman Abdul Mumin is a Sports Journalist based in Accra, Ghana. He has been writing for the past five years. Lukman joined Sports Brief as an Editor for the Local Desk in 2022.
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