Presse Sports – USA TODAY Sports
Liverpool have continued their summer signing spree by finalizing a two-year contract with free agent Kolo Toure after his contract with Manchester City expired at the end of last season.
The 32-year-old defender made 102 appearances for City, winning the Premier League in 2011-12 and the FA Cup in 2010-11 and gaining a reputation as a consistent performer in the defense. He joined the club for £14 million from Arsenal in July 2009, so there has definitely been a good return on the investment City made in the Ivory Coast international.
The deal that now takes Toure to Liverpool is one that makes sense on all sides. For Liverpool, they will be looking to fill the void left by the retirement of stalwart defender Jamie Carragher while also preparing for the possibility of Martin Skrtel leaving the club.
The Reds do have experience in their defense, with Daniel Agger, Glen Johnson and Jose Enrique still in their squad, but the addition of Toure means they now have plenty of options, especially in the center-back area.
Toure will also be useful as a mentor for Liverpool’s younger defenders like Sebastian Coates, Martin Kelly and Andre Wisdom. They can learn plenty from the man who has been capped 103 times for the Ivory Coast and has been involved in two finals of the African Cup of Nations in 2006 and 2012.
Meanwhile, Toure will undoubtedly feel he still has plenty to offer in the Premier League. He played just 18 games last season for Manchester City, so he will be desperate to remind everyone of his worth as a defender. With Arsenal, Toure was known as a solid performer who was a crucial part of their undefeated season in 2003-04. He will feel that he can recapture those glory days at Anfield and look to play a big role for his new club.
Chris Teale is a British-American Soccer writer for Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @chris_teale or view his writer’s page here.
