Manchester City Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Moise Kean and Yaya Toure

Juventus are reportedly contemplating making an offer for Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure after the Bianconeri are said to have almost lost City target Moise Kean during the summer.

According to Telelombardia (h/t Calciomercato's Lorenzo Bettoni), Juventus are still in the market for some midfield depth, and with Zenit Saint Petersburg not letting go of Axel Witsel for a minor fee in January, the Old Lady could turn its attention toward Toure.

Per the report, the Ivorian is still looking for a way out of City in January, despite his recent return to the starting XI. Toure barely played football to start the season, but he's been in the side in the last two Premier League matches.

He was happy to finally be playing again:

The 33-year-old wasn't registered for City's UEFA Champions League campaign, meaning he could represent Juventus in Europe's top club competition in the second half of the season should he make the move.

Witsel is expected to join Juventus either in January or the summer when his contract with Zenit expires, so any move the Italians make for a different midfielder will either be a short-term option or a talented youngster they can develop.

Toure was magnificent on his return to the starting XI, scoring twice in a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace. As shared by Sport Witness, he drew praise from Italy's leading sports paper, so it shouldn't be a surprise to see these latest links:

But for the first time in months, a January move for Toure no longer seems inevitable. The former Barcelona star was widely expected to leave the club while he wasted away on the sidelines, frozen out by manager Pep Guardiola, who sold him once before when the two worked together in Catalunya.

His recent opportunities may just be a fluke, although City's defensive issues suggest otherwise. The Sky Blues are severely lacking depth at the centre-back position, a spot where Guardiola actually played Toure at times with Barcelona.

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With Rolando Mandragora expected to return from injury and the Witsel situation unfolding, Juventus aren't expected to push hard for another star in midfield―unless Toure is available for a bargain fee, don't expect the Italians to chase the veteran too hard.

Meanwhile, Tuttosport (h/t Calciomercato Lorenzo Bettoni) report Juventus almost lost teen sensation and reported City and Arsenal target Moise Kean to Ajax during the summer.

The 16-year-old prospect made history twice in the past week, becoming the first player born in the year 2000 to play in Serie A and the Champions League. He still hasn't signed a long-term deal with the Italian champions, however, and it almost led to an exit just a few months ago, as reported by Bettoni:

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Kean’s agent Mino Raiola has yet to find agreement with Juventus over the wonderkid’s first pro contract but according to a report of Tuttosport, Juventus came really close to losing the most promising product of their academy last summer.

The Italian paper claims that Ajax had entered transfer talks to sign the promising striker. The Lancers had offered Kean a regular spot in their starting line-up for this season and Raiola was ready to take him to Amsterdam but Juventus blocked Kean’s exit.

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Kean's agent was born in Italy but raised in the Netherlands, and he maintains plenty of contacts in the Dutch football world. Ajax's academy is one of the most respected in the world, and the club is renowned for giving youngsters a chance at the highest level, regardless of their age.

The 16-year-old already looks as if he can hold his own against senior players on a consistent basis, as you can see in these highlights:

Fortunately for the Bianconeri, Kean stuck around, and he was rewarded with a spot in the senior side following injuries to Paulo Dybala and Marko Pjaca. He made his debut against Pescara after several weeks on the bench, and it clearly meant a lot to his family, via Photos of Football:

The Italy youth international, who has scored at an absurd rate against competition two to three years his senior the last two seasons, is set to sign his first professional contract with Juventus in the coming weeks, as his brother told Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t MailOnline's Jonathan Spencer).