Racism is to blame for Yaya Touré’s failure to win any of football’s top awards, according to the agent of the Manchester City midfielder.

Dmitri Seluk said the Ivory Coast international would have finished higher than third place in the PFA and FWA Footballer of the Year awards, and higher than 12th in the Ballon d’Or voting, if he was not a black African.

Seluk told The Times: “If he was white, 100 percent he would have won one of those top awards.

He added: “He is a bit upset about the situation. Messi is the top player in the history of football and I respect Ronaldo and Ribery a lot. Yaya respects all these players. But for an African in these awards it is hard. Fifa needs to change something.”

Cristiano Ronaldo won the Ballon d’Or ahead of Lionel Messi and Franck Ribery this year. The last black player to win the award was Ronaldinho in 2005, while George Weah remains the only African to have won the award.

“I don’t want to talk too much about racism or the politics of football, but he does not get the praise he should get. Yaya has three times in a row won the African Player of the Year, but it is different with the other awards.

“I agree with Jose Mourinho when he said that the (UK) Player of the Year should come from the team that wins the title. I have very much respect for Suarez and Gerrard, but what Yaya did from midfield, not often a player can do this.”

Touré was beaten to both English awards by Luis Suarez. Thierry Henry was the last black player to receive both the PFA’s Footballer of the Year award (2004) and the FWA Footballer of the Year award (2006).

“Who was the best team this year? Manchester City? Who was their best player? Touré. Gerrard is really good but Liverpool finished second in the league and Yaya is third (in the FWA vote).”

Players from Manchester United and Liverpool have historically dominated both the PFA Player of the Year award and the FWA Player of the year award. No Manchester City player has ever won the PFA Player of the Year award, while the last City player to win the FWA Player of the Year award was Tony Book in 1969.

Seluk was also unsure whether his client would stay at Manchester City this summer, saying: “If an important club like PSG (Paris St Germain) or Real Madrid made a big offer it would be for Manchester City to decide what happens.”