Yaya Toure’s agent Dimitri Seluk insists that the Manchester City midfielder wants to stay at the Etihad Stadium for life.

The Ivory Coast international has been heavily linked with a move away from the Premier League champions, with Roberto Mancini keen to be reunited with his former midfielder at Inter Milan.

Seluk believes Toure "loves" the club, however, and has tipped him to move into an executive role upon his retirement, though he has urged City to move quickly to tie him down to a new contract.

"Yaya loves Manchester City and, despite what is sometimes said, he is happy at the club," he is quoted as saying by the Sunday Mirror.

"In fact, he would like to stay for life. He would love nothing better than to finish his playing career with City and then work for the club after that.

"That’s why I want City to give Yaya a new contract, to show him that they want him to be part of the future. It is not about money. It is about keeping Yaya at the club until his playing days are over and showing the club’s best player that he is respected and loved.

"When he stops playing, then Yaya could have an executive role, perhaps as sporting director. Think about it. He has played in Belgium, Ukraine, Greece, France, Spain and England.

"He has won championships with Olympiakos, Barcelona and Manchester City. He has won the Champions League and the Africa Cup of Nations.

"He knows world football. The only market that City want to buy players from at the moment is Spain."

Mancini has made public his desire to acquire Toure’s signature in the summer, but Seluk believes the 31-year-old is the most important player at Manuel Pellegrini’s disposal and has laughed off talk of a potential move.

"Sheikh Mansour wouldn’t sell Yaya – not even for £250million," he added.

"I am sure that Mancini would love Yaya at Inter, but every manager in the world would want to work with him.

"Mourinho would love him at Chelsea and Ancelotti would love him at Real Madrid.

"But I don’t think Yaya will be leaving City. He is their most important player – as their results when he was at the Africa Cup of Nations proved.

"The only game they won was at Stoke – and before that their last win in the Premier League without Yaya was in April last year."

Despite Seluk’s steadfast belief that Toure will remain at City, he has criticised the club for attempting to emulate Barcelona, who they face in the Champions League later this week, and insists that they are deluding themselves.  

"City can become a great club in the future if they forget about this crazy plan about becoming the next Barcelona. City have two Spanish executives Txiki Begiristain and Ferran Soriano.

"They came from Barca and now they are obsessed with turning City into the club they left. That is not only impossible, it is foolish. There can only ever be one Barcelona.

"City should be looking to establish their own identity, not dream about becoming Barca Mark II.

"And, in my opinion, I think someone with Yaya’s experience can do that."