Manchester City has on Thursday made another sensational swoop in the summer transfer market, and signed centre-back Kolo Toure from Arsenal, with the club's official website confirming that the player has signed a four-year deal.
The defender's agent confirmed that Toure had chosen to swap the Emirates for Eastlands because he believed that playing for City would satisfy his keen ambitions for honours, as well as providing him with a new challenge at this stage of his career.
"Kolo's very ambitious at this time of his career," Saif Rubie told Sky Sports News. "He was very impressed with Sheikh Mansour and the chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak's vision for the club."
"For him, it's a new challenge. He's very excited with what Mark Hughes is doing at the football club. He sees himself as being a lynchpin for the team and wants to do everything to turn Manchester City into what they have to be."
Rubie also asserted that his client had not simply moved to Eastlands for the money, as more cynical observers had opined was the case.
"Believe you me, anybody that knows Kolo Toure knows that he's a man who plays and fights with his heart," the agent continued.
"He's has never done anything less than that in eight years of being at Arsenal. He's looking to give that to the team at Manchester City. Hopefully for years to come."
Toure also found if hard to leave Arsenal, a club to which he had become very attached, particularly as Gunners boss Arsene Wenger had given him the opportunity to excel at the highest level.
"It was very difficult," Rubie asserted. "Eight years (there), it was like a second home. Mr Wenger is the one who gave him that opportunity.
"But there comes a time in your life and career when you decide (to move)."
The agent was also able to confirm that the process of the transfer had moved along at a rapid rate, adding. "Manchester City have always admired Kolo but everything happened very quickly. He got the call on Monday night, being told that a fee was being agreed."
"After which we had to get Kolo back in the country and he really just had to prepare himself mentally for the challenge ahead."
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