The streets of Manchester have barely been cleaned up after City’s title winning parade, when rumours are now circling about the future of one of their star players. Yaya Toure’s agent is claiming that his player could leave the Etihad this summer. Dimitri Seluk told a Spanish radio station: Toure has done all he can do at City and needs new motivations. He would like a new challenge. He would not cost much. He could sign for many big clubs, like Chelsea or Bayern Munich. We would like to see Barcelona join the race.’

Toure who is on £260,000 a week still has three years left on his contract and City would loathe losing a player who seems like the missing part of puzzle. Roberto Mancini though is now more concerned with which players he wants to bring in. Mancini said: ‘Barcelona and Real Madrid every year buy two or three players and spend a lot of money. I think for Manchester City it will be the same. We need to improve. We need to have the strength to play Champions League and Premier League.’

Mancini and David Platt went to meet Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, football administrator Brian Marwood and acting chief executive John Macbeath on the players they would be looking to recruit.

And Old Trafford legend Sir Bobby Charlton fanned the flames yesterday as he reflected on United’s near miss, saying: ‘This club, without question, is the best in the world.  I don’t think for a moment we have anything to worry about with regard to City. City doesn’t interest me very much. To have won 19 championships is unbelievable. City are just thinking about that.’