SOCCER:SAMIR NASRI has identified Arsenal's transfer policy as a principal cause of his departure for Manchester City where Roberto Mancini, his new manager, believes he has a squad capable of winning the Premier League and Champions League this season.
The City manager has bemoaned a lack of depth in his squad at times this summer and had insisted he needed Nasri plus another signing to meet raised ambitions at the Etihad Stadium. Having concluded the €27m signing of the France international, however, Mancini finally declared himself satisfied with his resources and now intends to instigate a clear-out before Wednesday’s transfer deadline.
Liverpool want to re-sign Craig Bellamy and Shaun Wright-Phillips is discussing a move to Queens Park Rangers plus two other Premier League clubs.
Nasri signed a four-year contract with City on Wednesday and is expected to complete the club’s spending in this window. At his official unveiling yesterday, the 24-year-old denied accusing Arsenal supporters of lacking passion, but claimed a lack of investment in proven talent had damaged his former club’s prospects of success.
“I am just a player, but when you are at a big club sometimes you have to bring in big players to win. Maybe Arsenal didn’t have this mentality,” he said. “They always relied on experienced players but since they moved to the Emirates Stadium, their transfer policy has been a little bit different. They have dealt with young players who have definite quality and in the future I think they can do something. But at the moment, they have lost Cesc Fabregas, who was the captain and who had been there for eight years. They need to bring someone in to replace him.”
Nasri denied leaving Arsenal for City purely for financial gain, even though his salary is believed to have tripled. “Manchester City did not offer me three times what I was earning at Arsenal. Arsenal offered me an extension as well,” he claimed.
Asked what he saw as the main difference between his present and former clubs, the midfielder replied: “Titles, I hope. I am 24 and everyone says I am a good player but I haven’t won anything. I loved my time with Arsenal but I have never won anything with them. This year, their best player left – Fabregas. If you are going into a team with Aguero, Silva, Tevez, Kompany and all the rest, you must be confident of winning a trophy. I have four years to win one.”
Mancini takes his abundance of riches to Tottenham Hotspur tomorrow, although will be without the injured Nigel De Jong, and the usually reticent City manager admits the club can challenge for the game’s biggest prizes this term.
“We have started very well and hopefully we can continue to play well, to score and win matches,” he said. “Only one team can win the Premier League. Only one can win the Champions League. But we want to do this if it is possible. The season will be very long. We want to improve on last year. We have a big chance this year.
“Everything depends on us. I think that we can do it. Maybe we will be second at the end of the season and reach the Champions League final and lose. This is football.”
