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Comment: 0 August 18th, 2011 by: admin
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SAMIR Nasri’s days with Arsenal may be over.

And the Gunners’ loss could be Manchester City’s gain as the French midfielder is said to be very close to linking up with the Eastlands side.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger had previously announced that he would keep Nasri while they were on their Asian tour last month but the mood has changed.

Now, Wenger appears ready to release Nasri as City are just wrapping up details to formally bag the 24-year-old playmaker with a juicy offer said to be around 22 million pounds.

IRRESISTIBLE OFFER

Nasri had long expressed his intention to leave the Gunners and the 180,000 pounds a week salary that awaits him at City should be too tempting to resist. That was double the 90,000 pounds a week Arsenal offered him to stay for another five-year-deal.

City manager Roberto Mancini hinted following their heart-breaking loss to Manchester United in the Community Shield that he is near to “completing’’ his side, while stressing Inter midfielder Wesley Sneijder is definitely out of the picture.

Mancini has not been discreet in his desire to acquire Nasri and this annoyed Wenger as City prepare to finalise their bid. Manchester United and Chelsea were the other clubs rumoured to be keen on snaring Nasri over the summer but they have abandoned their bids.

As soon as the haggling with Arsenal is done, Mancini expects Nasri to be battle-ready.

FEELING OF UNEASINESS

The former Marseille player, who has less than a year left on his present contract at Emirates, was unperturbed whether he remains at City or not but other delicate matters like the one involving their captain Cesc Fabregas’ recent transfer to Barcelona cast a feeling of restlessness and demoralisation to some members of the club. And Nasri could be among them.

He did not join City in their recent trip to Lisbon where they lost 2-1 in a friendly against Benfica. Wenger’s reason for his absence was “muscular problem’’ but Nasri reportedly preferred being with the French national side in their friendly against Chile in Montpellier.

As if Arsenal are already preparing for Nasri’s relocation, they are now zeroing in on Brazilian midfielder Jadson to fill in his boots. Also on Wenger’s wanted list are Everton centre-half Phil Jagielka and Bolton defender Gary Cahill.

ADDED BOOST

Nasri, who normally plays as attacking midfielder or winger, assumed position at central midfield the past term when Fabregas was sidelined by a groin injury. His versatility could provide City with sufficient boost if and when he eventually dons their colours. He may not have shown commitment to Arsenal fans but this misgiving could be straightened out once he settles in with his team of choice.

Mancini had indicated that they want a player of Nasri’s calibre who could partner well with Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero. As negotiation time ticks away, Tevez appears to be staying with City and this prospect puts Mancini on an optimistic mood.

There were talks that a Tevez-Nasri swap between City and the Gunners are in the offing but this did not come into realisation.

And this should be good news, too, for Nasri as he will have at his assisting targets two of the finest strikers in the business.

NOT FOR THE MONEY

Nasri’s relation with Wenger may have turned sour with his apparent discontent at the London outfit. But the playmaker had made it known that he is not playing football for the money but because he wants to capture trophies.

Arsenal is expected to receive around 60 million pounds in the departure of Fabregas and Nasri, and the effect of their absence has apparently dawned on Wenger after the Gunners got off to an unimpressive start in the new season.

After his side was forced to a 0-0 stalemate by Newcastle United, Wenger trumpeted he is now ready to spend lavishly for top-notch replacements so they can pose a serious threat for honours in their new campaign.

CHANGE OF HEART

That was a complete turnaround for the Frenchman who is known to be restrained when financial splurging concerning players acquisition comes into focus. Apparently, he was forced to change his mind after disgruntled Arsenal fans taunted and urged him to invest more for the betterment of the team.

With the exit of Fabregas and now the impending relocation of Nasri, Arsenal’s drive in the new Premier league season could go in tatters.

Without their two top playmakers, they would be easy pickings for rivals and might cause them to drop down the standings from their fourth-place finish last season.

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