By ADAM TROXTELL
The man who brought Yaya Toure to England now wants him in Italy.
Inter Milan boss Roberto Mancini said the two could be reunited, since it seems the Ivorian midfielder wants a move into Serie A. Toure joined Manchester City the summer after Mancini was appointed manager there in 2009, and the two won an FA Cup and English Premier League at the club.
Now in charge of the club for a second stint, Mancini said Inter could be the next club for Toure.
“If, as it seems, he wants to have an experience in Italy, then there is this possibility he could come here,” Mancini told Italy’s Gazzetta TV. “Would Inter be his first choice? That’s certain.”
Mancini admitted it won’t be easy to bring Toure to Inter, especially with UEFA’s Financial Fair Play rules. But the midfielder would be an ideal target as the Nerazzurri seek a first Serie A title since 2010.
Here are some more news and notes for your Tuesday afternoon:
BIG NAMES CALLED IN FOR ARGENTINA’S U.S. FRIENDLIES
Argentina recalled its big guns for a pair of friendlies against El Salvador and Ecuador this month on American soil.
Lionel Messi, Carlos Tevez, Sergio Aguero and Javier Mascherano were all announced as part of Gerardo Martino’s latest squad. Also part of the set-up is Manchester United winger Angel Di Maria, who has suffered a difficult spell at the club in the past few weeks.
Argentina will face El Salvador on March 28 at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland, before playing Ecuador on March 31 and MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The friendlies are part of the team’s preparations for this summer’s Copa America.
Have a look at the full squad below:
Goalkeepers: Nahuel Guzman (Tigres), Sergio Romero (Sampdoria) and Geronimo Rulli (Real Sociedad).
Defenders: Ezequiel Garay (Zenit), Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City), Marcos Rojo (Manchester United), Facundo Roncaglia (Genoa), Mateo Musacchio (Villarreal), Lucas Orban (Valencia) and Nicolas Otamendi (Valencia)
Midfielders: Javier Pastore (PSG), Angel Di Maria (Manchester United), Lucas Biglia (Lazio), Roberto Pereyra (Juventus), Ever Banega (Sevilla), Enzo Perez (Valencia) and Javier Mascherano (Barcelona)
Forwards: Ezequiel Lavezzi (PSG), Sergio Aguero (Manchester City), Gonzalo Higuain (Napoli), Carlos Tevez (Juventus) and Lionel Messi (Barcelona).
PEDRO ENDURING FRUSTRATING SPELL AT BARCA
Spanish attacker Pedro has admitted he is currently going through an unhappy time at Barcelona.
With the addition of Luis Suarez last summer and Neymar the previous year, playing opportunities for the 27-year-old Pedro have been restricted. He has started just 12 games so far this season in La Liga, and as a result might consider leaving as early as this summer.
“It is clear that I am having a tough time to find a place in the team at the moment,” Pedro told beIN Sports. “I will consider my options in the summer and will then talk with the club to discuss my future.”
Pedro called this a “difficult period” for him at Barcelona. His current contract does not expire until June 2016.
OXLADE-CHAMBERLAIN FACES THREE WEEKS OUT
Arsenal and England midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has suffered another injury setback in the space of a few months.
Oxlade-Chamberlain reportedly suffered a hamstring strain during the Gunners’ FA Cup win against Manchester United on Monday. He is now expected to be out for at least three weeks.
That would rule him out of Arsenal’s round of 16 second leg game against Monaco in the UEFA Champions League and a pair of England’s Euro 2016 qualifiers. It could also mean he misses Aresenal’s April 4 game against Liverpool.
The English midfielder has only recently returned from a groin injury that kept him on the sidelines from the end of January to mid-February.
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How would Toure fare at Inter? What do you think of the Argentina squad? What club would be a good fit with Pedro?
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