SOCCER:ARSENE WENGER has praised Samir Nasri's professionalism and will consider selecting the France international against Liverpool today, despite the Arsenal midfielder being on the verge of a €25 million move to Manchester City.
The clubs have agreed a sum for Nasri, although negotiations continue over agent fees, with the City manager, Roberto Mancini, saying he hoped the deal would be closed “very quickly”. The midfielder trained as normal at London Colney yesterday and will be considered for selection if no resolution is reached over his move.
“I am focused on winning the game and, when I pick my team, I don’t think if he might leave the next day or the next week,” Wenger said.
“It doesn’t mean anything to me. Nasri is in the squad. If I decide to play him, he will play. When you are professional you play until the last day. Everywhere I have worked in my life I have made sure that, up until the last second of where I was, I did the job properly.
“You do your job until the last day of your life at the club. He is paid this month by Arsenal. If Samir plays against Liverpool, he can prove how committed he is to this club. I never questioned his love for this club. You can work for a company and love that company and, if someone comes and offers you three times more, you can leave and still love the company where you were before. This is the same.”
Nasri was suspended for the first leg of Arsenal’s Champions League qualifying tie against Udinese on Tuesday. Wenger’s midfield options are severely restricted against Liverpool, with Cesc Fabregas sold, Alex Song suspended, Jack Wilshere injured and Tomas Rosicky rested with Wednesday’s return leg in mind. There are problems, too, in defence with 19-year-old Carl Jenkinson likely to be handed his debut in the absence of Kieran Gibbs, Johan Djourou and Armand Traore.
This has been a summer of painful upheaval for Arsenal, though there is reassurance to be gained from the identity of the new captain.
“Robin van Persie loves this club, he’s attached to this club,” Arsene Wenger said. “He’s a technical leader on the pitch, and he’s grown into a leader (off it).”
The Dutchman leads out his team against Liverpool this lunchtime hoping to satisfy a support yearning for a talisman.
Van Persie was a picture of frustration at missing the Champions League play-off first-leg victory over Udinese through suspension, though the sense is that he will thrive wearing the armband.
His energy and pace, allied with the whip of his left foot, have long terrorised opponents. A desire to emulate Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry and, before his time, Tony Adams may now draw even more from the 28-year-old.He said:
“When you look at all those guys it’s a massive honour for me to join their line. Everyone remembers them as captains and leaders. This makes me feel so proud.”
The Dutch forward has two years to run on his basic contract, which could leave him next summer in the same position as Nasri now: entering the final 12 months of his deal with a potential Bosman move looming.
Wenger described events this summer as “swimming a bit against the stream” and his mood was hardly improved by Uefa opening disciplinary proceedings against him for apparently communicating with his bench while suspended from the touchline against Udinese. “They gave us the rules and we observed, strictly, what they told us,” he said.
Kenny Dalglish, meanwhile, has defended Wenger. “Arsene Wenger has been fantastic for the club. That doesn’t exempt you from criticism but it’s something people should remember,” said the Liverpool manager.
“When they were in a bit of trouble, he guided them through it. He has always been a fantastic seller of players. Petit, Overmars, Henry, Vieira, Anelka – he has got the best value for his club when they needed help financially. If Arsene was good for them then, plus he was bringing in trophies, then the only thing missing now is the trophies.”
