Mackintosh told City’s website: “We left no stone unturned to try and persuade him that his future lay with us. We recently explored a new option that would have allowed Sylvain to leave in this transfer window or the next one on a free transfer if he was not happy with the on-field progress we were making.
“This offer would have given Sylvain the maximum flexibility to consider his future over the next few months.
“However Sylvain made it clear that he felt his ambitions could be better delivered elsewhere.
“He was a fantastic player for this football club and I am sure that all supporters would join me in thanking him for his efforts over the last five years.”
