Nasri Deal?????? On/Off, On/Off, On/Off

[guv111]

Hopefully Nasri is on his way, and at least one more major (surprise) signing, too. I say "surprise" as we are either making an art of surreptitious negotiations or Mancini's pleas re. two or three more players are falling on deaf ears. Nasri and Sneijder would make me very happy with this summer's business, while another low key signing such as Savic (or no one) would be a major disappointment with such a full season ahead.

[phips]

Read something somewhere that we're going give him some astronomical wages...around 185,000 pounds/week...

[Beefymcfc]

Read something somewhere that we're going give him some astronomical wages...around 185,000 pounds/week...

That's normal talk for the Rag-Tops, inflate the price so they can inflate it more later then beat us with it.

It's been reported, which I believe, that Arsenal upped his contract offer to £115,000 and we offered him £10,000 more. I also reckon that this wage includes playing bonuses, but who knows.

[Ted Hughes]

I believe this. I recon it'll be announced before I get home tomorrow.

[Biamp]

I believe this. I recon it'll be announced before I get home tomorrow.

I really hope so, but I doubt it. I think it will drag on till the last day of the transfer window.

[Lees Alter Ego]

We have an over reliance on Silva to make things happen. Nasri is not THE complete player but he will improve us and give us much more options going forward. Young as well so will have good value going forward. Hope this happens

[Fesan]

Some "ITK" guy on twitter saying we are discussing how much of a presumably agreed sum will be upfront. Meaning IMO that a deal is imminent and "done deal'ish". Should what he reported be true ofc.

[twosips]

Something tells me that given the state of London at the moment things may be a little disconnected for a few days now :/

[Blue Blood]

Something tells me that given the state of London at the moment things may be a little disconnected for a few days now :/

You could look at it the other way, Nasri's and Nasri's people probably will want to accelerate any deal asap.

London is a mess.

[carl_feedthegoat]

Something tells me that given the state of London at the moment things may be a little disconnected for a few days now :/

You could look at it the other way, Nasri's and Nasri's people probably will want to accelerate any deal asap.

London is a mess.

Good...it will take the focus off Manchester with its 2 restaurants.

[Blue Blood]

Something tells me that given the state of London at the moment things may be a little disconnected for a few days now :/

You could look at it the other way, Nasri's and Nasri's people probably will want to accelerate any deal asap.

London is a mess.

Good...it will take the focus off Manchester with its 2 restaurants.

I clearly saw a Greggs in London burning on Sky News... a senseless crime if ever there was one, utterly senseless...

Imagine the Greggs in Manchester burning... doesn't bare thinking about...

How would Carlos live?

[bluebananamilksheikh]

Something tells me that given the state of London at the moment things may be a little disconnected for a few days now :/

You could look at it the other way, Nasri's and Nasri's people probably will want to accelerate any deal asap.

London is a mess.

Good...it will take the focus off Manchester with its 2 restaurants.

When did Manchester get a 2nd Restauraunt ?

[bobby brows]

Arsenal open door for Nasri move to 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.

[john@staustell]

I never thought 'd see a longer, more drawn out tansfer than Milner's. But we have.

For fuck's sake get on with it.

[Nigels Tackle]

wonder what deirdre barlow will make of samir's return?????

[Alex Sapphire]

wonder what deirdre barlow will make of samir's return?????

[youtube]AP1bIU-xHSQ[/youtube]

[beehive's dodgy pint]

wonder what deirdre barlow will make of samir's return?????

The reason it is taking so long is that Wenger wants Ken in a swap deal. The deal was stalled after his grandson twatted him and he failed a medical.

[lovecity8utd]

so nasri is named in arse's champs league squad - won't be so valuable if cup-tied, so perhaps they are going to keep him after all?

[phips]

so nasri is named in arse's champs league squad - won't be so valuable if cup-tied, so perhaps they are going to keep him after all?

the champs league games isnt for a week or so and we most likely will have signed him (if we do) way before then. i think his inclusion (and fabregas') in their squad is a precautionary one. if neither player leaves they surely want them playing in the champs league...if they do leave, they'll change the squad.

[Blue Blood]

so nasri is named in arse's champs league squad - won't be so valuable if cup-tied, so perhaps they are going to keep him after all?

the champs league games isnt for a week or so and we most likely will have signed him (if we do) way before then. i think his inclusion (and fabregas') in their squad is a precautionary one. if neither player leaves they surely want them playing in the champs league...if they do leave, they'll change the squad.

Correct, precautionary.

Also he is banned for the first leg, impossible for him to play.