Man City’s Toure dismisses lure of China

Reports last week said Toure, 33, had rejected an approach from a Chinese club that would have seen him paid around £430,000 ($536,000, 499,000 euros) a week.

With his contract up at the end of the season, the former Ivory Coast midfielder faces an uncertain future, but he says he has no interest in joining the likes of Oscar and Carlos Tevez in China.

“I always say that if I went to China I would end up feeling angry there,” Toure said, in comments carried by several British newspapers on Tuesday.

“Do you play football because you love football or do you play because you want to make money? What’s the purpose?

“Me, I just want to play football because I enjoy it, I love playing. I enjoy helping my team-mates, I enjoy playing against the big players and teams. I want to carry on in that way.

“Some people have the mentality that they want to do that, to try something different, but for me, my feeling is that I want to play more football.”

Toure was frozen out following Pep Guardiola’s arrival as City manager last year, but has since forced his way back into the team.