Arsene Wenger once came close to assembling a midfield dream team featuring Patrick Vieira and Yaya Toure - but red tape ultimately foiled the Ivorian's potential move to Arsenal.
In 2003, as Vieira's illustrious career in north London was nearing its end, a 20-year-old Toure, who had already spent two years at Belgian outfit Beveren, impressed Wenger during a six-month trial.
On the cusp of securing a contract, negotiations hit a roadblock due to Toure's lack of a European passport. The young midfielder had hoped to follow in the footsteps of his older brother, Kolo, who had joined the Gunners the previous year after a successful trial.
However, Toure's path took a different turn. He went on to join Metalurh Donetsk, followed by stints at Olympiacos and Monaco. His big break came in 2007 when he signed for Barcelona, becoming a key player under Pep Guardiola in 2009. A year later, he made a £24million move to Manchester City.
Regarded as one of City's all-time greats, Toure notched 79 goals in 316 appearances, winning three league titles, two League Cups, and one FA Cup. In a recent appearance on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, presented by Qatar Airways, Toure shared the story of his near-miss with Arsenal.
He revealed that his brother had dubbed him the "new Patrick Vieira" and discussed the events that unfolded after his trial with the Gunners. Toure said (via the Mirror): "Yeah, no, because in the beginning, I think the problem was the paperwork because at that time, when I remember, it was...
Arsene Wenger alongside Lauren, Freddie Ljungberg and Kolo Toure during an Arsenal training session on March 23, 2004 (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Arsene Wenger signed Kolo Toure a year before taking Yaya on trial (Image: Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
"You have to play 75% in the national team if you don't have the passport, European passport, or you have to have a European passport to play in England and that was the path.
"Arsene was willing to let me go back to Belgium to carry on for, I think, one more year or two years to get the Belgian passport because at that time, I was not playing in the national team, A (senior) team."
The twist of fate that saw Toure gain his first international cap for Ivory Coast just 12 months after his Arsenal trial only intensified the sense of what might have been. Reflecting on the experience, he laid bare the frustration he felt about the deal falling through and his subsequent move to Ukraine.
Kolo Toure brother of Yaya Toure of Manchester City makes a speech at full time during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Brighton and Hove Albion at Etihad Stadium
The Ivorian brothers won the 2011/12 Premier League together at City (Image: 2018 AMA Sports Photo Agency)
"And in my mind, I was like, it's time for me to go abroad, test myself and try something different," he explained. "And it was from that period, I've been sold to Ukraine. And that's when I started to get a bit frustrated because for me, it was a bit of a fail because I didn't make it, but in the end, it was that difficult because my mind was divided.
"I didn't want to get a passport. To get it, I wanted to be able as well to play for my national team. At that time, I was very young. I was a very inexperienced."
The frustration might have indeed spurred him on to the illustrious career he went on to have. Toure accumulated a dazzling array of trophies during his time at Olympiacos, Barcelona and City.
Listen to the full Rio Meets Yaya Touré interview on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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