By MARTIN BLACKBURN
KOLO TOURE is ready to turn down a move to Turkey to stay at Manchester City.
The 31-year-old defender confirmed he held talks with Bursaspor while Middle East side Al Hilal are also keen.
City would listen to offers in the region of £3million and a new centre-back is on Roberto Mancini’s shopping list this summer.
Liverpool’s Daniel Agger and Roma’s Daniele de Rossi are among his targets but Toure is in no rush to head for the exit.
He said: “I did speak to the people there but I’m just focusing on City. I’m a City player, I still enjoy it here, you can see that.
“I love playing at the same club as my brother. But we will see what will happen. I’ve got one year left on my contract and that’s it.
“I am still at City but you never know the future. For me the most important thing is every day I’m at City I’ll give 100 per cent.”
Toure will be behind Vincent Kompany and Joleon Lescott in the pecking order. But he believes he still has a role to play as he knows from his experience at Arsenal how tough it will be to retain the title.
He added: “I won the title with Arsenal in 2004 and it is harder to defend it the following season.
“Every game will be like a cup final because every team will give 100 per cent to beat City because we are the champions.
“We know that though. It’s been a good pre-season — now we need to confirm we are a good team — but there will be no easy way to do it. It is all about working hard, focusing and doing our job.”
Toure and brother Yaya are likely to be heading off in January to represent Ivory Coast at the African Cup of Nations to leave Mancini with a headache again. But Kolo said: “The African Nations Cup is being held again next January and it is going to be really exciting for my country.
“We have never won it and we were so disappointed to lose in the final in February.
“I will keep playing for the national team until I feel I can’t offer them anything.”
Meanwhile boss Mancini has warned Adam Johnson now is the time for him to fulfil his potential.
The England winger would almost certainly have left if City had landed Eden Hazard earlier in the summer.
Now he seems set to stay — but Mancini says he wants more from 25-year-old Johnson, who missed out on the final games of last season and Euros.
The City chief said: “Adam is in my plans, it’s not my fault he didn’t play in the Euros. I think for the national manager it is difficult to choose.
“Adam is a very good player and probably deserved to go. Under Capello he played regularly. But he found himself in the same situation as Micah Richards, who is also a good player.
“Sometimes players have to stay at home. Now it depends on him, not me. If he deserves to play, he will. Some players think that when they don’t play, it’s the boss’ fault. I think he has to be playing for a top club but he’s got to play at his top level.”
