Yaya Toure's Brazil move off as ex-Man City star's wife didn't fancy switch

Yaya Toure has blown his chance of a Samba swansong - after his wife told him she didn't want to live in Rio.

The former Manchester City midfielder was set to sign for Brazilian club Botafogo before performing a dramatic double U-turn that ended with the South Americans pulling the plug on the deal.

Toure, 36, who has been looking for a club since leaving Chinese club Quingdao Huanghai in December, agreed to sign for Botafogo after talks with director Ricardo Rostenberg.

He then informed Rostenberg over the weekend that he was pulling out of the agreement because his wife Gineba didn't fancy the Brazilian lifestyle – only to have another change of heart 24 hours later.

But after contacting Botafogo again, Toure was told the deal was off the table and that the club were in the process of signing former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel instead.

Toure's wife has followed him from the Ivory Coast to Belgium, Ukraine, Athens, Monaco, Barcelona, Manchester and the shores of the Yellow Sea.

But she didn't fancy life by the Copacabana.

Toure has won titles in Greece, Spain, England and China.

He was sent off after just 10 seconds of his final game for Quingdao Huanghai when a VAR official spotted him kicking out at an opponent.

His team lost 2-1 but were still crowned champions and secured promotion to the China Super League.

Toure helped City win three Premier League titles after arriving from Barcelona in 2010, and will be remembered as one of the club's greatest players.

But after being given an emotional send-off by the Etihad fans in 2018, he tarnished his standing at the club by accusing Pep Guardiola of racism.