Yaya Touré has played in his last home game for Manchester City as his side swept aside Brighton with a 3-1 victory. Goals from Danilo, Bernardo Silva and Fernandinho were replied to only with a Leonardo Ulloa strike, giving the Ivorian a perfect send-off after his time at the Etihad.
City broke three Premier League records in the process of their victory, providing a memorable platform upon which Touré could say his goodbyes. He was substituted seven minutes from time, affording the adoring crowd the chance to give their departing player one-last standing ovation.
Bernardo Silva's goal, which put his side 2-1 ahead, was the Sky Blues' 104th of the season in the Premier League this season, the most in the competition's history. Fernandinho's strike later in the game made it 105 with still another game to play. Pep Guardiola's side also toppled two Chelsea records - they passed the Blues' 95-point total from 2005 and have one more victory in a season than the 30 that Antonio Conte's men managed last season.
Touré exit comes at the end of a spectacular season for his side, in which they were unbeaten in the league until January, only lost one more after that and had the title wrapped-up in mid-April. The only thing that may stick in his throat is his lack of involvement as he has aged - he has only made 10 Premier League appearances this season, scoring twice.
'He has played a huge part in City's rise'
High praise indeed from a former-opponent and teammate, not to mention one of the best midfielders to have graced the Premier League era. Frank Lampard went up against City and Touré for a number of years, before spending a season on the same side in 2014/15. Writing for BBC Sport, Lampard placed the Ivorian in the top five toughest midfield opponents he has ever faced.
He wrote: "Steven Gerrard probably edges it as the best I have played against, for his consistency over the years, but Yaya is up there along with Roy Keane, Patrick Vieira, and Paul Scholes - which shows how highly I rate him.
"Every midfielder has different attributes but the best players are the ones you fear, and I certainly did that when I was up against Yaya.
Even some of the very best play within themselves slightly, but he didn't. He would hurt you by going forward and by scoring goals at the end of it, which is always a great trait that not many midfield players have."
This marauding attacking play is part of the reason behind City's winning of three Premier League titles in his eight seasons at the club, while also adding three League Cups and an FA Cup success to his list of honours in Manchester.
Touré is the club's third-longest serving player, behind the on-loan Joe Hart and captain Vincent Kompany, and despite his waning influence on the pitch in recent seasons, off it City will be losing a huge part of the club's identity. His popularity among the fanbase and influence in the dressing room will be sorely missed by all involved with the club.
But where will he be at the start of next season?
He has told the media over-and-over that he will remain in the Premier League next season, as the Ivorian still believes he can play "at a high level." His stay in England, however, depends not just on what he wants, but also on who will take him.
Touré is 34-years-old and is unlikely to be willing to take a drastic wage cut. This presents a problem for him, as there won't be many teams willing to fork-out a six-figure weekly wage for a player in his twilight years.
The two English teams with the lowest odds to sign the free agent are Chelsea and Arsenal, both of whom have had underwhelming seasons but do have the resources to pay him a high wage should they wish to do so.
The latter's lack of a manager following Arséne Wenger's decision to leave the club, however, could provide a stumbling block as the incoming boss will want to make his own decisions when it comes to recruitment.
Newly-promoted Wolves are also being slated as a likely destination for Touré. Coming off the back of an excellent promotion campaign in the Championship, the club have very lofty ambitions and no small amount of funds at their disposal. Touré's wage demands are likely to be high, but his Premier League experience could be the difference between a successful first season back in the division and a disappointing relegation back to the second-tier.
Despite the availability of clubs, however, and the player's desire to stay in England, the bookies still have Touré's most likely destination to be outside Europe in either the MLS or the Chinese Super League.
Both leagues are no strangers to deals bringing-in big-name players past their prime on a huge salary for the sake of brand exposure, and the Ivorian certainly fulfills the requirements of such a deal.
In a busy World Cup summer, Touré's future may get lost in a bigger story, but the sheer number of options and outcomes for his eventual destination make it a transfer saga worth keeping an eye on.
