Yaya Toure Names Mario Balotelli, Angel Di Maria Among Top 5 Summer Signings

Manchester City's Yaya Toure has boldly picked out Mario Balotelli as one of his top five summer signings from around Europe, a list which also includes two transfers made by local rivals Manchester United.

Balotelli has been roundly criticised by many for a poor start to his Liverpool career after a £16 million August move from AC Milan, but Toure has backed the Italian to succeed at Anfield.

The Ivorian also highlighted United's British-record £59.7 million singing of Angel di Maria from Real Madrid along with the Red Devils' loan scoop of Radamel Falcao from Monaco.

Away from the Premier League, City's midfield star cited Real's purchase of James Rodriguez from Monaco and Valencia's loan swoop for Sky Blues striker Alvaro Negredo. But the Balotelli choice was certainly the most surprising from Toure, who was speaking to UEFA Champions League sponsor Nissan (h/t Jack Wilson in the Daily Star):

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I think definitely Di Maria and Rodriguez. Rodriguez was a fantastic one, and as well United with the move for Falcao, he is a great striker, unbelievable. [Negredo] has had injury problems but he has been brilliant for us this last year and I think he will be a great move. We will be sad to see him go because he was one of our top strikers in the last year. Of course he had a couple of events and he needed to go back to his country, but I think we are going to miss him a lot. And the fifth one, I think, one of my great friends, a good friend, Mario Balotelli, like my brother. I hope he is going to do well with Liverpool because he has been involved in a few problems in the past year. But I think this year he is coming more mature and he can control all of that.

"

Balotelli has widely been regarded by many as a poor signing, and certainly not up there with the best, as he has failed to score thus far in seven Premier League games, per WhoScored.com.

Gareth Copley/Getty Images

Former Red Jamie Carragher has described the Italian as a "panic buy" and indeed, as Liverpool writer Matt Ladson points out, Balotelli was not Brendan Rodgers' No. 1 strike target in the summer as he looked to replace Luis Suarez:

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Liverpool's replacement for Suarez went: Sanchez > Remy > Balotelli. Hard not to agree with Carragher that it was a panic buy.

— Matt Ladson (@mattladson) October 23, 2014"

However, it is still early days in Balotelli's Liverpool career and, considering his immense talent, Toure may well be proven right. Certainly Liverpool fans will hope so.

Toure also picked out two men who he will likely face in Sunday's Manchester derby in Di Maria and Falcao.

The Argentine has got off to a flyer at Old Trafford, continuing on his immense form for Real last season, per StatsBomb's Ted Knutson:

He will likely cause City some major problems at the Etihad this weekend, along with Falcao, who has shown flashes of brilliance thus far, but has yet to have a regular starting run in the side.

Rodriguez put in a string of stunning performances for Colombia in the World Cup and inevitably made a £63 million switch to the Bernabeu soon after.

Paul White/Associated Press

He has, thus far, been excellent for a swashbuckling Madrid side, and has scored twice in La Liga while also providing four assists, per WhoScored.

Negredo's injury troubles that plagued him at City last season have continued at Valencia after his temporary summer move, but he looks finally on the way back and made a brief appearance against Elche last time out.

Toure himself has had his own injury concerns ahead of the weekend's derby clash but is likely to be fit for the visit of United, per 101 Great Goals:

After a fantastic season for Toure last season in City's title-winning side, he has started the new term somewhat below his consistently brilliant best.

However, he scored in both league matches against United last season and could pick no better time to return to top form than a home match against the Red Devils.

He will likely be hoping that two of his transfer picks, Di Maria and Falcao, are below their best on Sunday, but with such talent set to be on show, it should be a phenomenal occasion.