Yaya Touré could have worn the PSG jersey. Then a player for Beveren (Belgium) in 2004, the Ivorian midfielder was ardently courted by the capital club. Problem: the deal formula. Paris wanted to pay for his transfer in two installments, while the Ukrainian club Metalurg Donetsk was ready to pay the sum in one go. It was therefore in Ukraine that the Ivorian legend exploded, before heading to Monaco, Barça and even Manchester City.
“I didn’t want to go to Ukraine. For me, Paris Saint-Germain or another club in France was the best. Go to PSG, they took it away from metraces Yaya Touré in the show Zack Freewheeling. I know the details, PSG wanted to pay in two installments, the Ukrainian club wanted to pay in cash (…) The people close to me did not respect my wishes, it really upset me, I was very angry. I signed in Ukraine but it’s as if I had a knife in my neck: “if I don’t go there I’m going back to Africa, and it was difficult for me to return to Africa”. It remained stuck in my head throughout my career but it helped me enormously because it allowed me to progress and develop.”
