Toure relishing new challenge at Man City

Ivory Coast defender Kolo Toure admits he made up his mind to join Manchester City six months ago because he wanted a new challenge after seven years at Arsenal.

Toure completed a 15 million pounds switch to big-spending City on Wednesday after growing stale at the Emirates Stadium.

But the 28-year-old centre-back, who signed a four-year contract with his new club and follows former Gunners’ team-mate Emmanuel Adebayor to Eastlands, claims the move had been in the pipeline for some while.

“I think before Adebayor we knew. There was some talk about coming here. It’s from six months ago,” Toure said at his official unveiling on Thursday.

“I was the last one in the ‘Invincibles’ team (the Arsenal side that went a whole season unbeaten in the league in 2003-04) and I was expecting to leave Arsenal.

“I think Arsenal are a really good team, but it was the right time for me to move.

“First I thought I did not want to leave England, even though other teams came in for me. But it was important not to leave for me and my family.

“Manchester City are a really good team and want to do something. I am really delighted to be here, the future is big.”

Toure is City boss Mark Hughes’ sixth signing so far this close-season in a spending spree that is now close to 100 million pounds.

The centre-back is convinced City are ready to gatecrash the Premier League’s top four and could even win the title.

“Yes, I believe so, that’s why I am here. The quality is big, there are fantastic players here,” Toure said.

“I will give everything I have to make the club one of the best in England.”

While City’s spending shows no sign of letting up as Hughes chases Everton’s England defender Joleon Lesott, Toure says he is not concerned about competition for places.

“I’m just here to do my job and I just want the team to go forward,” he said. “I leave everything to the manager and the board to do what they want to do but for me, I’m delighted to be here and give my 100 percent to get the team on top.

“The team want to progress, the club wants to progress and everything the club does is to make sure we play at the top of the league and that’s a really good objective and I’m on board now and I will do everything I can for the team.”

Toure revealed that City had pulled out all the stops to persuade him to leave Arsenal and he was immediately won over by their determination to sign him.

“They showed that they really want me and I’m wholly happy,” he said. “When you love a woman and she gives you back the love you are really happy and that’s what I can see at City.

“They have given me the love and I’m really delighted to bring them back the love.

“With Arsenal I was there seven years and when you play somewhere for seven years sometimes you need a change in your life and that’s what I was thinking and then Man City came and they are the right club for me as they have a full project on view.”