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Jovetic wants Toure, Zabaleta at Inter

SoccerNews in General Soccer News 5 May 2016

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Inter forward Stevan Jovetic would be keen to welcome his former Manchester City team-mates Yaya Toure and Pablo Zabaleta to San Siro next season.

Jovetic ended an injury plagued two-year spell in Manchester to join Inter before the start of this season.

Toure and Zabaleta have been linked with making a similar move to the Nerazzurri, who are coached by their old boss Roberto Mancini.

Both players have been influential figures for City, winning five major honours in England, but they have struggled for form and fitness this term.

Ivory Coast midfielder Toure and Argentina right-back Zabaleta have a year to run on their contracts at Etihad Stadium and could be vulnerable to an expected close-season of upheaval under incoming manager Pep Guardiola.

In such an event, Jovetic would be keen for Inter to capitalise.

“Toure and Zabaleta are among the strongest in the world and would be useful to any team, even Inter,” he told Corriere dello Sport.

“This year [Zabaleta] has had many muscle problems but when I was at City he was always well and played great.

Toure turns 33 next week but Jovetic has no doubt the ex-Barcelona man could cope with the demands of Serie A in his advancing years.

Asked whether Toure could have an impact in the Italian top flight, Jovetic added: “For sure. He is a mix of physical strength, technique and personality – a midfielder who loses few balls.

“When I arrived at City I noticed that no-one got too close to him in the end-of-training practice match. I asked why and his team-mates laughed without answering.

“So, at the first opportunity I tried to steal the ball and he moved away with a nice shoulder. Since then I was always careful!”

Earlier this week, Zabaleta’s agent Federico Pastorello told Italian radio station GR Parlamento the defender would welcome a move to Italy, while claiming Guardiola was keen to retain the 31-year-old at City.

“Pep Guardiola wants to keep him and he’s been in England for a long time, but wants to experience a different league,” he said.

“We’ll see if it’s this year or the next, but we could see him in Italy shortly.”

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