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Trabzonspor claim Kolo Toure talks

Liverpool centre-back Kolo Toure is close to joining Trabzonspor, the Turkish club's president Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu has told Hurriyet.

The 33-year-old arrived at Anfield on a free transfer in July 2013 after his contract at Manchester City expired.

But after featuring regularly during the early months of last season, he did not start any of Liverpool's final 11 league matches.

Trabzonspor, who were last Turkish league runners-up in 2011 but haven't won the league since 1984, finished fourth in their domestic league last season.

Haciosmanoglu said: "We are building the type of squad which we promised to the fans. We have agreed terms with Kolo Toure and we will bring him to the club."

Toure was a regular during the first three months of the season even as manager Brendan Rodgers reshuffled his defence frequently in a bid to find a successful combination at the back.

But a poor performance in a 3-1 defeat at Hull City on Dec. 1 cost him his place, which he only regained when fellow centre-back Daniel Agger suffered a calf injury in early January.

Toure was then dropped again after a couple of significant errors that cost Liverpool goals in matches at West Brom and Fulham in February, and did not start another league game before the season's end.

With Martin Skrtel and Mamadou Sakho the regular central defensive pairing over the final three months of last season, and Dejan Lovren arriving from Southampton in July, Toure's Anfield future has been the subject of increasing speculation.