24 August 2011
LONDON/BERLIN: Arsenal have agreed to sell French midfielder Samir Nasri to their rivals Manchester City, the London club said Tuesday.
Nasri has been omitted from the Arsenal squad traveling to Italy for Wednesday’s Champions League playoff second leg against Udinese.
“Arsenal can confirm that they have agreed terms for Samir Nasri to move to Manchester City,” Arsenal said in a statement on their website, adding that Nasri went to Manchester for a medical Tuesday afternoon.
Nasri is set to become the second key Arsenal player to leave the club this month after Barcelona signed captain Cesc Fabregas for a reported fee of around 40 million euros ($56.9 million).
City had already laid out around 50 million pounds in this month’s transfer window on Argentina forward Sergio Aguero, French leftback Gael Clichy – also bought from Arsenal – and Montenegro defender Stefan Savic.
Since being taken over by the Abu Dhabi United Group in August 2008, City have spent an unprecedented amount for British football on buying top players.
In 2009, they bought Carlos Tevez, Gareth Barry and Emmanuel Adebayor. During the August 2010 transfer window their outlay was around 130 million euros on players such as Yaya Toure, David Silva and Mario Balotelli.
Under Roberto Mancini, who took over as manager in late 2009, City finished third in the Premier League last season, one place above Arsenal. City also won the FA Cup, their first major trophy in 35 years.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is under increasing pressure from fans to buy a big-name player to replace Fabregas and Nasri, and to end the club’s six-year trophy drought.
Elsewhere Tuesday, Bayern Munich coach Jupp Heynckes dismissed suggestions the Bavarian giants could swoop for want-away Manchester City star Carlos Tevez to replace injured Croatia striker Ivica Olic.
Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has suggested they are interested in signing a new striker to cover Olic’s hip injury, which may keep the 31-year-old out for up to eight weeks.
Bayern have Germany’s Mario Gomez and rising star Nils Petersen as their fit forwards, while Germany attacking midfielder Thomas Mueller can play up front.
The transfer window is set to close at midnight on Aug. 31 and Bayern are weighing up their options.
Tevez has repeatedly said he wants to leave Eastlands, but Heynckes said Bayern will not pay out massive transfer fees for stars like Tevez or Aguero – both are worth over 40 million euros.
“If we decide to sign a striker, we’re going after a top-class forward, but who is available at the moment?,” Heynckes told German daily Bild.
“Someone like [Manchester City’s] Aguero would be a good signing, but he cost 40 million euros. Tevez also costs around 45 million euros.
“Those are the kinds of players who would make us stronger, but … We’re not going to pay a transfer fee of 40 million for a new striker,” Heynckes said.
Copyright The Daily Star 2011.
