Barca’s Yaya Toure rules out £12m Arsenal switch

The Mirror reports that Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure has definitely ruled out a move to England this summer. The Ivorian – the younger brother of Manchester City skipper Kolo – had been linked with a lucrative switch to Arsenal worth a reported £12m, but the 26-year-old has made it clear he intends staying in Spain.

"I have heard about interest from Manchester City and Arsenal but my future is at Barcelona," said the 26-year-old. "I have spoken to the directors at the club, I don't want to leave and my only mission is to stay and be a success at the club." Gunners' boss Arsene Wenger is unlikely to lose any sleep over Toure's proclamation. Dubbed the new "Patrick Vieira" by his older brother early on in his career, Yaya was invited for a trial at Arsenal at the start of 2005-6 season, only to prove that there really was only one Patrick Vieira.

Spring has sprung and could that signal the unexpected return of one of the more exotic specimens seen in the Premier League?

The Manchester Evening News reports that Robinho could be set for a sensational return to Manchester City, the club he fled in January. The Brazilian star quit Eastlands for his homeland and a six-month loan spell with Santos, and by all accounts he's gone down a storm. Unfortunately for santos, Robinho doesn't come cheap and the club signed an agreement with three big sponsors to share his wage bill in return for a cut of the player's images rights. According to the MEN one of the deals has already bitten the dust while the other two remained unsigned. If no accord can be reached Santos would be forced to return the 26-year-old winger to City, a prospect that must alarm Sky Blues' boss Roberto Mancini as much as it does Robinho.

Spurs striker Adel Taarabt has burnt his bridges with Tottenham in spectacular fashion - by saying he wishes he had joined Arsenal. According to the Evening Standard, the 20-year-old Moroccan – currently on loan at QPR – regrets the day he ever set foot in White Hart Lane. Tarabat joined Tottenham from French club Lens in 2007 and how he wishes he could turn back the clock. "I was going to go to Arsenal and Damien Comolli [a French scout] was there with Wenger. But he went to Tottenham so I went there. That was a big mistake for me. My friends in England - like Armand Traore and Abou Diaby at Arsenal - told me Tottenham were not the right fit for me. The big mistake was to sign for Tottenham and not go to another club when I first came over."

Clearly three years at Tottenham has left Taarabt a disillusioned young man and even if Arsenal came calling when his contract expires next season he would turn them down in favour of a move to Spain. "England is not for me, I think La Liga is the best League for me. [I don't like] how they play in England, I like to play football." Presumably that means Taarabt will be trying to wangle a move to Real Madrid, who also like to play football, just not in the Champions League.

Finally Landon Donovan has quashed speculation that he might join crisis-hit Chelsea. The Blues, dumped out of the Champions League on Tuesday by Inter Milan, have been linked with a move for the American striker who proved a rave success during his recent loan spell at Everton. But Donovan is having none of it. "If I ever go back to England I would only ever want to play for Everton," said the captain of LA Galaxy. "Playing at Goodison Park is very special and as much as there is talk about getting a new stadium there is something very special about playing in an old historic stadium like that." ·