Well, it’s happened. The summer saga of “Samir Nasri and the Little Contract That Couldn’t” is over.
Sky Sports Italia is reporting that Arsenal have agreed to terms with Manchester City over the sale of the French midfielder, for a fee of €25 million (£22.2m). Nasri is believed to have been offered a contract of €6 million (£5.3m), which ends up being about £100k-per-week. The deal has not yet been officially announced by either club. This news comes less than day after Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger claimed he would fight hard to keep both players.
Apparently, not hard enough.
Sky Sports News, which as of the time that this was written had not yet confirmed the deal, has also been reporting that Nasri has informed Arsene Wenger of his wish to leave the London club. So, whether or not the Sky Italia story is confirmed, Nasri does appear to be on his way out.
I personally feel like Nasri’s situation has been more damaging to Arsenal than the long-running drama of Cesc Fabregas. Cesc has put in 8 years at the club, has fought hard and done all he can to keep Arsenal at the top. He wants to go home and play with his friends, and I feel he’s earned that right, as soon as his contract is finished or Barca choose to pay up. I will wish him the best and cheer him on everytime he returns to the Emirates.
Samir Nasri is almost the exact opposite. Nasri has been with Arsenal for 3 very average years. He has had injuries and at times has struggled for form. Last season was his breakthrough year, although in the second half of the season his form dipped. Many don’t feel he deserves the high wages he has been asking for, and I am one of them.
Nasri leaving concerns me, because rather than the player serving the club, this situation is rather the opposite way around. Nasri has used Arsenal as a launching pad for his career, taken advantage of the opportunities that Arsene Wenger provides for young players.
Except that, rather than repaying Arsenal for this chance with a new contract, Nasri has held the club hostage, and is apparently set to cash-in for a big payday. The idea of other young players following this path is a troubling one, Arsenal can’t afford to spend year after year enduring the “growing pains” of these young players only to lose them just before they enter their best years.
In other news, Arsenal defender Johan Djourou has claimed the team is not distracted by transfer rumors because they are focused on their objectives.
“We know there will be stories but we know what we’re aiming for and what our goal is,” he said to BBC Sport.
“We want to be successful so we don’t really get distracted by this. If he [Fabregas] goes, he goes.”
Djourou has been quite vocal this summer, and I personally believe he is attempting to put his mark on the club, be more outspoken, and try and become a leader that Arsenal desperately need in the back four. Last season Djourou finally was able to stay healthy, and if he is able to step into a leadership role, that would really be fantastic for a back line that has been sorely lacking in that department.
I think that regardless of his comments, the issues of Fabregas and Nasri have to have SOME effect on the team. It doesn’t change their job, or the objective of the team, but it will likely cast a doubt in the back of their mind that the odds are against them.
It’s hard to stay confident when the players you count on are leaving. Johan did add that sometimes when one player leaves, it allows a new player to express himself more, and maybe we can see Jack Wilshere or even Arshavin, or someone completely new and surprising, fill in these places every bit as effectively.
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