Manchester City mid-fielder Yaya Toure believes the club management is not giving him the respect due to him as a star footballer, and has reportedly sought assurances about being retained in the squad for " life".
According to Toure's agent Dimitri Seluk, the 31-year-old midfielder is said to be "very upset" by the perceived lack of respect shown him by City's owners.
The BBC quoted Seluk, as saying that Toure wants to remain at Manchester City for as long as possible.
Toure became only the second midfielder in Premier League history to reach 20 goals in a season during City's successful 2013-14 campaign.
On Tuesday, Seluk said Toure could leave City because the club's owners showed him a lack of respect on his 31st birthday, ignoring him when the squad arrived in the United Arab Emirates last week to celebrate their Premier League title triumph.
Having initially appeared to contradict Seluk, the player tweeted his backing for the agent's claims - although one telling tweet was deleted by Thursday.
Seluk denied that Toure's apparent disappointment with the City hierarchy was a tactic aimed at increasing his earnings after a season in which he scored 24 goals in 49 games.
Toure, who joined City from Barcelona in 2010, was linked with a return to the Catalan giants when Seluk made his initial comments on Tuesday.
Toure has said he could be playing for another club next season and added he would resolve his future after the World Cup in Brazil.
