Arsenal want Yaya Toure to be included in any potential deal they strike with Barcelona in regards to Alexander Hleb.
The Catalan giants have been tracking the Belarusian playmaker for some time, with £20million seeming the going rate for his services.
While the Gunners appear resigned to letting the former Stuttgart man leave Emirates Stadium this summer they are keen to ensure that they get the best possible deal.
With a holding midfielder still top of Arsene Wenger's wish list, Ivory Coast international Toure would be an ideal replacement for the Milan-bound Mathieu Flamini.
The 25-year-old has enjoyed immediate success in Spain since swapping Ligue 1 Monaco for Primera Liga Barca in the summer of 2007.
He is now widely regarded as one of the finest exponents of his role in the business, and has become a firm fans' favourite at Camp Nou.
However, with his current employers enduring a difficult 2007/08 campaign he may want to try his luck elsewhere, and with his brother Kolo already with the Gunners North London may be his preferred destination.
Barca are reported to have already agreed terms with Hleb in regards to his side of the transfer saga, but appear reluctant to include Toure as a makeweight in the deal.
"Nothing has been decided as yet," said the Spaniard's sporting director Txiki Beguiristain.
"But we want Yaya to stay with us and he is not on the market.
"(Josep) Guardiola considers him to be an important player in his new project."
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Comment 1 - 5 of 5
I guess Yaya's first position is very much at stake with the arrival of Keita who is highly rated than him (yaya). Thus if i were Yaya i would resort for gunners coz players of Yaya's caliber ought not to spend alot of time on the bench, they really can get finished so fast and become liabilities to the club.
Wise advise Yaya come to Arsenal and play more games on the other hand Wenger please consider Villa if we are to win any silver ware next season! Gogogogo Gunners gun them down!!
we need to get a few more players if we are gonna have a chance of winning anything we should get Yaya toure,david villa. also we are forgetting that we have only got 1 good goal keeper almunia and if he gets injured were screwed because fabianski is not a good goalie he is dodgey i wouldnt mind if we bought gomes from PSV eindhoven we could do with a couple more defenders
Everyone is on market, Yaya will a Gunner & Helb well good luck to who ever buys him.
Tiger - London
I think it is impossible to have your cake and eat it. If you think Toure is an asset to your team, than Hleb too is an asset to the Gunners. Let this process be a give and take thing. As you know the market place is where the buyers and sellers go to exchange good for money or valuables and every party is pleased after the transaction. My advise is that let this trade not be different from the usual trend that the market takes.
Mr. Paul Romeo David
Republic of Liberia
i don't know why they are wasting so much time with Hleb when there are a lot of middfielders better than him,maybe they are more expensive but bringing Hleb in Barca it's too risky (it's my opinion)Arsen knows that he will losse Hleb but he is trying to get the best option what he's got one of those options it's bringing Yaya in Emirates,but Barca need Yaya more than ever,we saw that the season was really long for Barca,they've got so many injuries during the last year,so Yaya it's really good player and sometimes as a starter and sometimes like substitute he will play for Barca, i really appreciate Guardiola's decision and Tixi too:Yaya it's not on the market,they know better than all the others that Yaya need to the team and Barca need to Yaya. i would prefer Diego or Moutinho more than Hleb,but it doesent matter my opinion ,they(Guardiola,Tixi)know better than me market and the football so...it doesn't matter what i write here,it's just my opinion.
Barca have bring really good players this season like Keita,Alves!!!,Pique and the urugayan i just hope that some others will arrive in Camp Nou big names and more importatnt,quality players like Moutinho or Diego or why not one of the possibility Hleb,but Yaya must stay :D
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