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Money let Samir Nasri leave Arsenal for billionaires Manchester City—Wenger

Angela Asante, August 24 2011,
So the deal is done and Samir Nasri has joined Manchester City after experiencing life at Arsenal.
Arsene Wenger will no more whisper words into Nasri's ears on the touchline unless the player returns to Arsenal.
Arsene Wenger will no more whisper words into Nasri's ears on the touchline unless the player returns to Arsenal.
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Gunners fans may find the situation hard to take, but for Arsene Wenger it is a matter of being “realistic”. Lately, Samir Nasri’s switch to Man City had become all but obvious. Following confirmation of an agreement between the two English clubs, manager Arsene Wenger explained the situation while talking to Arsenal’s official club website.

“I don’t question Samir Nasri's commitment or professionalism. If I told him ‘you come with us and play [against Udinese]’, he would have played like he did on Saturday. But you wonder what kind of a commitment you can have.”

Nasri featured in Arsenal’s 2-0 lost at home to Liverpool last weekend but was not expected to represent the Gunners in the UEFA Champions League playoffs. The French international’s contract at Arsenal was set to expire in June 2012 and Arsene Wenger avowed that the ultimate solution for the club was to sell the player.

“Football rules are made like that, that the player can be worth a lot of money today and nothing in six months so it doesn’t look completely logical. But, at the end of the day, of course, we are forced into a decision like that for psychological and financial reasons.

“I am a realist so I have no illusions. It's part of the modern life of a professional football player. It's not that by coincidence that everybody suddenly lands at Man City.”

The coach finally compared Nasri’s transfer case with Cesc Fabregas’. Arsene Wenger concluded:

“We did not want to lose Fabregas, but we were forced into a situation we didn’t want. [The] Nasri [transfer] is a situation where the player didn’t want to extend his contract with the proposals he had somewhere else.

“What kind of commitment can you have when the player is not there long-term? That is the question you have to answer.”

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