Arsenal and Man City finally resolve Nasri future
Published:Samir Nasri seems finally set to be a Manchester City player by the end of the week after Arsenal have agreed to terms to sell the French playmaker.
Discussions have been ongoing for numerous weeks between the two clubs, with Arsenal unwilling to sell Nasri, particularly after watching Cesc Fabregas leave for Barcelona.
However, with the 24-year-old’s contract up at the end of the season, Arsenal have reluctantly accepted an offer from one of their leading Premier League title rivals.
All that is left now is for Nasri to pass a medical and agree personal terms with Manchester City.
What is perhaps the biggest development of the deal is that it is has resulted in Nasri being omitted from the Arsenal squad travelling to Italy for their highly important Champions League qualifier with Udinese.
Arsenal were under substantial pressure for lengthy periods when beating Udinese 1-0 at the Emirates in the first leg and will face another stern examination in the return encounter.
If Arsenal lose the tie, it could cost them as much as £25m and there were rumours that Arsenal were going to play Nasri in order to boost their chances of reaching the group stages, even if it would mean that he is cup-tied from the competition if moving to another club.
Therefore, Tomas Rosicky is expected to play in the midfield role vacated by Nasri’s omission as Arsenal look to extend a run that has seen them reach the Champions League group stages in every year since 1998.
Arsenal’s odds are 4/11 to qualify against Udinese, with a win or a draw in Italy guaranteeing their victory in the tie.
Meanwhile, it is 11/5 in the Champions League odds that Arsenal beat Udinese again and 23/10 that the game ends all square.
