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“Imagine a midfield of me, Toure & Essien” — Mikel reacts to Yaya’s near Chelsea move

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“Imagine a midfield of me, Toure & Essien” — Mikel reacts to Yaya’s near Chelsea move

By Monsurah Olatunji

Ivory Coast legend Yaya Toure has revealed that he came close to joining Chelsea at the peak of his career, thanks to strong persuasion from fellow Ivorian and Blues icon Didier Drogba.

Speaking on the Obi One Podcast hosted by former Chelsea teammate Mikel Obi, Toure opened up about his near move to Stamford Bridge after leaving Barcelona.

The four-time African Footballer of the Year recalled how Drogba pushed hard to get him to West London.

“Didier is my big brother,” Toure said. “He said to me, ‘Yaya, come to Chelsea, it’s the place for you.’ He really wanted me there.”

Despite holding talks with the club, Toure ultimately joined Manchester City, where he would become a three-time Premier League champion and a central figure in the club’s rise to dominance.

“City had a clearer vision,” he explained. “They made me their top priority and wanted to build the team around me. Chelsea had quality everywhere, and their message was more like, ‘If you come, great; if not, we’re fine.’”

Mikel, amused by the thought, replied, “Imagine a midfield of me, you, and Essien. I would be on the bench; you were going to play.”

Toure laughed, adding, “It would have been crazy, man! We would have controlled everything.”

The hypothetical trio—Mikel, Toure, and Essien—would have combined power, tactical intelligence, and technical brilliance, creating one of the most dominant midfields in Premier League history.

Today, Toure has shifted his focus to coaching. The former Barcelona and Man City star is currently serving as assistant coach of the Saudi Arabian national team, following a glittering playing career that spanned over a decade at the highest level.

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Samuel Ahmadu
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
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