Timeless Talent: Manchester United Should Have Signed Manchester City Hero Yaya Toure

In 2010, an Ivorian midfielder transferred from Barcelona to Manchester City at the start of their rebuild. Just under a decade later, Yaya Toure left the Premier League as one of the best midfield players to ever play, cementing City's dominance over Manchester United. But what if it was different and Toure actually signed for the Red Devils instead?

In a recent interview, the three-time English champion revealed that when his agent told him where he was going, he initially assumed he was joining Manchester United. Because of United's absolute dominance in Europe at the time, they were known as "Manchester" on the continent.

While his agent had to clarify that it was the "team in the blue shirts" making the offer, the mix-up could've worked out in Sir Alex Ferguson's favour.

The Midfield Problem at Old Trafford

In one of the most baffling tactical blind spots of his legendary career, Ferguson did not sign a single central midfielder during his final six years in charge of Manchester United. The team was increasingly relying on the Class of 92, who were still there, like Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs, to play centrally.

While Michael Carrick and Darren Fletcher offered excellent passing and were reliable, United severely lacked physical dominance, ball-carrying thrust, and explosiveness in the middle of the park.

The Complete Midfielder

Toure wasn't your traditional box-to-box midfielder; he had the creativity to unlock a defense while also chipping in with goals too. In 2013/14 he had 20 league goals which is joint for the most scored by a midfielder in a Premier League season.

Standing 6-foot-2, he possessed a terrifying blend of raw physical power, elite technical quality, and devastating late runs into the penalty area. If United had intercepted City's bid, Touré would have provided the athletic presence needed to protect their backline while simultaneously operating as an elite goalscoring threat.

Seen firsthand by United when he played at centre-back in the 2009 Champions League final, Toure could read the game well with the pace to cover whenever he overcommitted. It's not often you see a midfielder who can play as a 10, 6, or an 8 at an elite level. Sometimes you need that one person to get you through a tough game or make that one chance to win the game in the business end of the season.

The Changing of the Guard

Rather than joining an established dynasty, Toure embraced the opportunity to build a new one from scratch at City. The consequences for United were severe.

During Manchester derbies, United's lightweight midfield simply had no physical answer for Toure. The ultimate turning point arrived during the 2011 FA Cup semi-final at Wembley, where he capitalized on a mistake to score the winner, knocking United out and securing City's first major trophy in 35 years.

Had Ferguson recognized his own midfield deficiencies and signed the Ivorian, the modern landscape of the Premier League could have looked entirely different. Maybe he could've added one more Champions League or league title to his collection before he retired.