Kolo Toure is reportedly being considered for a serious promotion at Manchester City, where he previously spent four years as a player, as part of a potential reshuffle in Pep Guardiola’s coaching staff.
The former Celtic defender and coach has been named by journalist Fabrizio Romano as one of the candidates being considered for a position at the Etihad. Toure is currently an academy coach at Manchester City, working alongside former club captain Richard Dunne as an assistant with the under-18s.
Toure began his coaching career after retiring from playing, with much of it linked to Celtic. He joined the club in 2016 and made 17 appearances under Brendan Rodgers during their unbeaten treble-winning season. After retiring, he stayed on at Celtic in 2017 as a technical assistant to Rodgers.
Kolo Toure
That coaching partnership continued at Leicester City, where Toure followed Rodgers in 2019. He remained part of the setup at the King Power for three years, contributing to their 2021 FA Cup triumph and European campaigns.
🚨🔵 EXCLUSIVE: Kolo Touré and Pep Lijnders are two options under consideration at Manchester City to be part of Pep Guardiola’s staff.
Decisions on new staff members soon following departures of Juanma Lillo, Íñigo Domínguez and Carlos Vicens. pic.twitter.com/ONc90TpG4K
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 29, 2025
His first taste of management came in 2022, when he took charge of Wigan Athletic. However, the stint was short-lived—Toure was dismissed after just nine games, having failed to register a win during a difficult period for the Latics.
Even though his time in management has been tough, Toure is still respected in coaching. He played for top clubs like Arsenal, Liverpool, and Celtic, and earned 120 caps for Ivory Coast, giving him strong football experience.
Pep Guardiola v Celtic
Britain Soccer Football – Celtic v Manchester City – UEFA Champions League Group Stage – Group C – Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland – 28/9/16
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers
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With City reportedly restructuring their coaching ranks this summer, Toure’s name is one of several being floated as the club looks to refresh its management team ahead of the new season.
For Celtic fans, Toure’s return to a high-profile coaching role would be seen as a continuation of the career journey that had a key chapter in Glasgow’s East End.
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