Arsenal open the door for Samir Nasri's £25m move to Manchester City

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/aug/08/arsenal-samir-nasri-manchester-city

Samir Nasri stands to get his move to Manchester City this summer as Arsenal's resolve to hold him to the terms of his contract has softened. Arsène Wenger, the Arsenal manager, said at the beginning of Arsenal's tour of east Asia four weeks ago he was so determined to keep Nasri this season that he would rather lose him at the end of his deal next summer as a Bosman free agent and, in the process, write off upwards of £20m in lost fees.

Yet there is now an acceptance at the club that if and when City formalise their interest in the midfielder with a sizeable offer, in the region of £25m, they would be wise to accept, particularly as the player wants the transfer.

Nasri, who has stalled on signing the new contract on offer at Arsenal, which is worth £90,000 a week, knows that he could take home as much as double that at City. Arsenal's hand is being forced further by the reality that Nasri is extremely unlikely to agree to fresh terms at the club.

The City manager, Roberto Mancini, spoke after Sunday's Community Shield defeat to Manchester United of the need to "complete" his squad. "We have the targets we had at the start of pre-season," he said, as he ruled out the possibility of the Internazionale midfielder Wesley Sneijder being one of them. Mancini is on record as stating his admiration for Nasri, which has irritated Wenger. Arsenal, who signed the winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain from Southampton on Monday, are now braced for a bid.

Nasri has told team-mates that he is relaxed about whether he stays or goes this summer but his conviction to leave has hardened in recent days and the situation has fuelled the feeling of unease behind the scenes at the London club.

Some of the squad have been demoralised by the Cesc Fábregas saga. The club captain is more intent than ever to return to Barcelona yet he remains at the club and with the armband, as the European champions have so far failed to approach Arsenal's £40m valuation. They are poised to improve on their original £27m offer and Fábregas is also prepared to help by waiving a £4m payoff in his contract. Fábregas has not featured in pre-season and he has hardly trained, which Wenger has attributed to a hamstring injury.

Nasri, meanwhile, did not travel to Lisbon at the weekend for the 2-1 friendly loss to Benfica because of what Wenger described as a "muscular problem" but, to general angst at Arsenal, he has joined up with the France squad in Montpellier, ahead of the friendly against Chile on Wednesday. Nasri trained and will start.

The disquiet in the Arsenal dressing room has not been helped by Wenger's relative lack of activity on the transfer market, although it is proving difficult for many managers to force various issues. As Wenger has admitted, Arsenal need a central defender with Premier League experience but he has been frustrated so far in his pursuit of Everton's Phil Jagielka and Bolton Wanderers' Gary Cahill.

Wenger completed the signing of the 17-year-old Oxlade-Chamberlain for a fee that could rise to £12m subject to add-ons but with the clamour for established stars who could fire a title challenge, the timing of the deal feels unfortunate. That is not Oxlade-Chamberlain's fault and the player who can also be used as a second striker in the same mould as Theo Walcott, who made the same move from Southampton to Arsenal in 2006, is relishing the opportunity to test himself in the Premier League. He underwent his medical on Monday.

When Wenger outlined his hardline stance over Nasri in Malaysia, he also said Arsenal could not be considered a "big club" if they sold both Nasri and Fábregas this summer. "Because a big club holds on to its big players and gives a message to all the other big clubs that they cannot come in and take them away from you."

But Wenger's preparations for the Premier League season opener at Newcastle United on Saturday have been thrown into turmoil by the prospect of him losing his two best midfielders.

£25million who only had a good spell for a half a season?

Wenger better take this and run straight to Valencia to pick up Mata.

I wonder how he will feel when Mancini is starting Barry over him.

the_gooner wrote:£25million who only had a good spell for a half a season?

Wenger better take this and run straight to Valencia to pick up Mata.

I wonder how he will feel when Mancini is starting Barry over him.

butthurt immidetatly? wow

The Madrid One wrote:

the_gooner wrote:£25million who only had a good spell for a half a season?

Wenger better take this and run straight to Valencia to pick up Mata.

I wonder how he will feel when Mancini is starting Barry over him.

butthurt immidetatly? wow

Doubt he is tbh and tbh what he said he is 100% true.

Nasri has been only good for half a season at Arsenal and 25 million for a player who is extremely inconsistent and with only a year left on his contract is a fantastic deal.

More like I wonder how he'll feel when he's subbed off for Barry in the 65th minute when City are losing

brilliant business, they can sign mata for about that money.

they might not have to spend to replace nasri.

why is Adam still there btw? he is clearly not wanted

The Madrid One wrote:

the_gooner wrote:£25million who only had a good spell for a half a season?

Wenger better take this and run straight to Valencia to pick up Mata.

I wonder how he will feel when Mancini is starting Barry over him.

butthurt immidetatly? wow

Not really.Its great deal for Arsenal for a player who only has a year left on his contract and is very inconsistent.The issue is whether Wenger will invest invest the money and spend 30mil on a proven player like Mata or will he be happy with an unproven youngster like Oxdale-Chamberlain.I think he would just stick with Chamberlain as usual.

The Madrid One wrote:

the_gooner wrote:£25million who only had a good spell for a half a season?

Wenger better take this and run straight to Valencia to pick up Mata.

I wonder how he will feel when Mancini is starting Barry over him.

butthurt immidetatly? wow

Are you kidding me, if the player wants to go and only has one year left, I would even take 20mill, who is butthurthere.

Would be dream move if Nasri = Adam + cash. win win

i'll take those 25m right now without any 2nd thoughts

Hell yes, I'd also take them. I completely forgot about Adam Johnson and I'd frakking love him to be part of the deal, although with City's mission to bench all quality in order for other teams to not have it, I'm not sure.

if mata doesnt come, get Goetze for 20m lol

RealGunner wrote:if mata doesnt come, get Goetze for 20m lol

Better than Mata anyways and Fabregas for that matter

Joke, i do rate him extremely highly though.

RealGunner wrote:if mata doesnt come, get Goetze for 20m lol

Another central attacking player for Wenger to shift to the flank

the_gooner wrote:

RealGunner wrote:if mata doesnt come, get Goetze for 20m lol

Another central attacking player for Wenger to shift to the flank

Tbf he's been playing on the right wing for Dortmund all his career, despite the fact he's an AM yes.

Get Hazard

Nasri money will be spent (or ild like for it to be spent) on a box to box mid, and a W/C cb... We would be set then

Immaculate_Mole wrote:

the_gooner wrote:

RealGunner wrote:if mata doesnt come, get Goetze for 20m lol

Another central attacking player for Wenger to shift to the flank

Tbf he's been playing on the right wing for Dortmund all his career, despite the fact he's an AM yes.

Well my lack of Bundesliga knowledge has clearly been exposed

Swear I saw him pulling some strings from the middle in a couple Dortmund games.

^Dont think we'll spend on a B2B tbh. If anything itll be a AMC that can play the wing as well. Hazard would be perfect, but I doubt Lille can afford to let him go now that Gervinho has moved on.

the_gooner wrote:

Immaculate_Mole wrote:

the_gooner wrote:

RealGunner wrote:if mata doesnt come, get Goetze for 20m lol

Another central attacking player for Wenger to shift to the flank

Tbf he's been playing on the right wing for Dortmund all his career, despite the fact he's an AM yes.

Well my lack of Bundesliga knowledge has clearly been exposed

Swear I saw him pulling some strings from the middle in a couple Dortmund games.

^Dont think we'll spend on a B2B tbh. If anything itll be a AMC that can play the wing as well. Hazard would be perfect, but I doubt Lille can afford to let him go now that Gervinho has moved on.

Well he has license to move into the centre but his postion is RW, Kagawa plays CAM.

And Cabaye

Godze would be so sweet, but he's not leaving.

Now... Podolski's available

Great deal for Arse if true.

Aguero

Nasri Tevez Silva

hell of a ball playing front 4

cyberman wrote:Aguero

Nasri Tevez Silva

hell of a ball playing front 4

You think Mancini's gonna play that?

Take one of them out and put in Barry or Milner.

Hell of a playing-with-balls back duo.

Nasri price should be at 16m pounds.

Thats only the front 4

He could play his 2 deeper players behind them