Arsenal Manager Feels Time was Right for Star to Leave
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has defended his decision to allow Samir Nasri to move to Manchester City the day before their vital second leg against Udinese in the Uefa Champions League Play-off.
The French international had just one year remaining on his present deal, resulting in a huge amount of interest in the player over the summer and eventually ending in a move to City in a deal worth around £24million.
Earlier this week Roberto Mancini had revealed that should Nasri play in the Gunners’ Champions League clash, it would jeopardise the deal and possibly stop it from happening. This looked the likely scenario with Arsenal missing many key players, especially in midfield, and also desperate to win the game to qualify from the group stages of the competition. However Wenger felt it was best to field the player’s focuses on the game.
“You cannot think about only one game in the season, and there was some logic in the decision and also some business interest,” Wenger said.
“Overall, you want players who are not playing thinking that they are leaving the next morning – it’s not ideal.
“So you want players who are completely committed to the long term to defend our chances.”
