Mancini: Toure would lift Serie A

Toure to Inter would be great for Serie A, says Mancini

The former Manchester City boss remains hopeful of convincing the Ivorian to move to Milan and says Mauro Icardi's decision not to celebrate is no concern

Roberto Mancini believes that the signing of Yaya Toure could be a lift to the whole of Italian football - and help Inter to challenge for Serie A supremacy again.

Mancini has made no secret of his desire to bring the Cote d'Ivoire international to San Siro from Manchester City, having managed the midfielder while in charge of the current Premier League champions.

With the Nerazzurri battling to return to the summit of Serie A after struggling in recent seasons, the Inter coach feels that Toure would be the right calibre of player to help them reach their goals and provide a lift to the division as a whole.

"We hope to be back there [at the top] and Yaya Toure is a great player," Mancini told reporters. "If we managed to sign him, it would be great for all of Italian football, just as it would if any Serie A side bought a champion."

Mancini also stressed he is not concerned by the attitude of star striker Mauro Icardi, who caught the eye when he opted not to celebrate when scoring twice in the win over Palermo.

"He seems very relaxed and he's not the kind of guy who gets upset about things," Mancini explained. "I don’t mind him not celebrating if he scores twice every game!

"I personally think celebrating is wonderful for a player but it doesn't matter to me."

Inter face Atalanta on Sunday looking to bolster their European chase and Mancini has warned his side to expect a tough game against a team who were unfortunate to lose to Fiorentina last time out.

"We face an Atalanta side coming off an undeserved defeat. They're a solid team, and difficult to play against," he said.

"As long as there is hope [of Europe], you have to do everything. We have to change our attitude. At home, we're a great team and that shouldn't change away. It will take time to see the Inter that I want but that doesn't mean we can't always improve."