Top Stories

Arsenal set to sign Samir Nasri

Samir_nasri_ap

Arsenal didn’t waste much time bolstering its squad. With Mathieu Flamini already gone, and Aleksandr Hleb poised for a move, Arsene Wenger snatched up one of the best young players in the game in Olympic Marseille starlet Samir Nasri for a reported $25 million.

July isn’t even here and the summer transfer fun is in full swing.

What do you think of Nasri joining Arsenal? Will he be an upgrade over Hleb? Is this just one of several big moves by Arsenal this summer? Should Wenger be spending his money on defense instead of another attacker? Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. sami nasri,great signing can play anywhere in midfield and even behind the strikers.

    Now about the flamini incident i feel diaby can be a good replacement for him i mean hes good in the air good defensivly good worker and pretty much another viera.

    But he is more attacking than flamini and probably wont work as hard, Still give him a chance we’ve seen he can do great things.

    I also think we should be giving almunia another chance in goal he done fabulose last season. But if we do end up looking for a keeper i think frey or ochoa would be the best.

    Reply
  2. To Richard Burns,

    …or do your friends call you Dick Burns, I’m sure it’s appropriate to your lifestyle. Jumping on the Arsenal bandwagon will leave you feeling the same as jumping on anything roves into your sight — an intense burning sensation in your lower extremities. Of course, that could just be an ankle bone. Yes, Spurs were supposed to supplant your team of foreigners this year, I suppose we’ll have to settle for giving your team the worst spanking in recent memory. Try and find the last time you beat us by a margin comparable to 5-1.

    Remember to dust off your trophy shelf — if you can’t find anything recent to put in it, at least keep it clean.

    And as for your personal remark to my message, which contained no attacks on you or your club, that I should “go to hell” for being a “lillywhite cunt,” I suppose I’ll just take a nod from Mr. Wenger and claim that I have scene nothing.

    After all, outclassing you will always be second nature to me.

    To Ives — Is there a reason for posting articles about Arsenal signings and note equally notable signings from other PL clubs?

    To be honest, I come here for USA/MLS related topics but if you are going to cover PL signings, can we at least do it with parity? The classless attacks that come from a certain clubs “fans,” will inevitably follow.

    Reply
  3. To John – It’s fascinating to see how two people can watch the same team and yet have such differing opinions on players. I think Diaby has far greater upside than Song and is a better two-way player. I do agree though that the center of the park is not our problem area. Heck, I still think that Gilberto (if he stays() has a bit of life left into him. Cesc felt comfortable playing next to him the year before.

    As for Nasri, I’ve only seen him play twice and I liked what I saw.

    Reply
  4. Nasri will be a great signing for us. He will mainly be deployed in the beginning when we play a 4-5-1 (either in tough away matches or if van Persie goes down to injury as usual). He can play in the spot behind Adebayor which Hleb filled this year. For me, Nasri is definitely one of the most exciting young talents in Europe along with Modric. He is the top young French player at the moment and they don’t call him the “next Zidane” for nothing.

    As for our other needs, we could use to fill the DM slot left vacant by Flamini but rumours are that we are also close to signing 22 year old PSG defensive midfielder, Clement Chantome. We also have Denilson who looked good in a DM role next to Cesc in the closing month of the season as well as Alex Song who came on very strong in the ACN. Our other desperate need, in my opinion, is a centre back. The Toure/Gallas pair just doesn’t work. Gallas was so horrendous over the last 2 1/2 months of the season it was disgraceful especially considering he was the team captain. I would like to see us make a push for Richards seeing as how Sven is on his way out and things don’t look nearly as appealing or promising at City as they did back in December.

    Reply
  5. no matter how you put it, Samir Nasri is going to do great things in the EPL. Nasri, Fabregas and Adebayor. I might become a Arsenal fan.

    Reply
  6. As a Gunners fan, I believe that Diaby is NOT the answer to Flamini’s loss. That being said, I think we are better off in center midfield than almost anywhere else on the pitch. We need a central defender. We need a better keeper. We need a second striker (or a first striker if Adebayor heads to Barca). We need a right winger, although it looks as if Walcott is ready to step into that role. I don’t believe that the Flamini position is the one that has to be filled or replaced. Besides, I personally believe Alexandre Song is the answer to replace Flamini. Remember that this was the first year Flamini contributed from the middle, and Song has begun to show signs that he is ready for Premier League football.

    On the other note, I am excited by the Nasri signing. I think he is the perfect replacement for Hleb, and will fit seemlessly into the Arsenal system.

    Reply
  7. I think some people in here have never watched Nasri and think they can talk about him. He is the complete player. He covers the entire pitch, he’s completely two footed, he has great long range shooting, playmaking ability, dribbling skills, desire to win, and is tenacious in defense. His style fits Arsenal and I can’t think of a better player for them.

    He is quite versatile but I hope Wenger does not try to convert him to a wide player like Rosicky or Eboue, just let him play in the center.

    And Modric is good but comparing him to Nasri and much less calling him the best youth in Europe is ridiculous.

    It is a shame that OM had to lose such a player, but Valbuena really stepped up this season and can take over where Ribery and Nasri have since left.

    Reply
  8. “Spurs already signed the best young player in Europe, Luka Modric.

    Posted by: Nicholas s. | May 21, 2008 at 01:41 PM”

    Ya, and Spurs were supposed to knock Arsenal from the Top 4 this season too. Luka Modric plays well for his national team but really isn’t that great of a player. He’ll take half the season to adapt to English football, and Nasri will likely do the same… unless the French guys help him out right from the start (now). Either way, Samir Nasri is MUCH better than Luka Modric.

    The Arsenal

    go to hell you lillywhite cunt

    Reply
  9. To Victor- – I’ve always liked Diaby. I definitely would take him over Eboue in the midfield. I’d like to see him play more, but there’s nothing wrong with having too many good players and being deep. That’s a nice problem to have!

    Reply
  10. I’ll miss Hleb. Every time he got tripped up I experienced unbridled joy shouting “Hleb down!” in my best Mike Myers psuedo-Scottish accent.

    I could pretend to have an opinion on Nasri, maybe he played in one CL match I saw, but the rest is all hearsay to me. Hope it works out, the Arse are fun to watch and I like Wenger.

    Reply
  11. Great signing to replace Hleb. Hleb came into his own this year but I still would have liked to see more goals from him…the guy never shot the freakin’ ball! Let’s not forget that Vela just got his work permit, so that’s another new attacker on the squad.

    BTW, am I the only Gunner fan that believes that Diaby can replace Flamini? He gives us a bit more size and he certainly can attack as well. We may lose a bit defensively, but I think he can do the job.

    Reply
  12. It would deffently be a great pick up, as I would love to see him go to Bayern Munich and team up with Ribery again.

    Reply
  13. Tough watching Marseille lose its young superstar in the making 2 years in a row.

    Maybe not quite as big as Ribery to Munich, but the pattern of the superclubs drawing in the big talent from all the competition, really takes away from the 98% of matches that don’t have both clubs with deep pockets like that.

    OM is the kind of club that should be just a notch below the big guys, but the way things work now, there’s just no way to close that gap.

    Reply
  14. I was hoping Liverpool would snatch him up. Good signing. Can play out wide, in the center or up top behind a true striker.

    Reply
  15. Great signing by Arsenal. In the long run, Nasri will be better than Hleb. Now, if they can only get a great Center Back, a great Defensive Midfielder, a great Forward and a great Goalkeeper.

    Reply
  16. To The Gentleman Masher;

    Were Pires and Henry not on the Arsenal squad that went unbeaten in the league a few years back? I at least know that Henry was. Is that not considered silverware?

    As for the question at hand…I’m a Liverpool fan, so if you look at the picture above you can probably gauge my reaction; DOH!!

    Reply
  17. @The Gentleman Masher – Henry and Pires were past their prime when they left Arsenal. Never thought Wiltord was that great anyway. Flamini is kicking himself as he will now be playing UEFA cup football. He will not say he is, but he is. He will also say it is not about the money, but he won’t say how much more he is getting paid now.

    I’ve always liked Wenger and Arsenal. They don’t throw away as much money on players transfers (unless they are buying quality youth). Always good football. Always in the title race for at least a large part of the season. Always in the Champions League. 60,000 plus stadium. I don’t know what there is not to like, except having to speak French in training.

    Reply
  18. Signing Nasri is a good move. I really started to like Hleb, but if he’s going to move than Nasri is a nice young replacement.

    Reply
  19. Nasri is a great signing wherever he goes. The kid’s just smooth. Like something you find in a Johnson&Johnson bottle.

    He can play outwide or center with Cesc. But that would mean Cesc would have to play deeper and he won’t be as effective in the attack.

    A 4-3-3 could work with Cesc in the center. But Nasri could also play wide in a 4-4-2.

    Reply
  20. I hate the Gooners. Having said that, Wenger is more or less a managing genius. This will probably end up being a great move.

    Dan I’m not so sure about Yaya Toure. I know he is supposed to be good, but he looked very shaky in the CL matches I watched him play last year. Like I said I’m no Arsenal fan (not even close) but I’d prefer Wenger use his sixth sense and get another young Flamini cheaply to replace the actual Flamini.

    Reply
  21. Just another Frog who will leave Arsenal in a few years when they don’t win any silverware. (Flamini, Wiltord, Henry, Pires, etc.)

    Reply
  22. This kid is a star in the making! sad to see flamani leave, but if htey replace him with yaya, get nasri, get rid of gallas, and bring in some other defender, i will be very happy

    Reply
  23. I don’t really know if Nasri is necessarily an upgrade over Hleb, but Nasri is definitely a great signing for them. Although like Andrew said above, they really do need a hard-nosed center mid. A central midfield duo of Nasri & Fabregas means great passing and possession, but it leaves Arsenal with a lineup lacking bite in the midfield.

    Could they be looking to play more of a Chelsea-style 4-3-3, with an enforcer (in the mold of Essien or Makalele) playing behind Nasri & Cesc? Maybe Walcott on the right wing, Adebayor up top, and maybe van Persie on the left?

    That attacking lineup could score tons of goals.

    Reply
  24. Best defense is a good offense, or something along those lines…jk. I think Arsenal need a bit all over the park so this is a good move. If Wenger stopped here and didn’t make any more purchases this summer, then this would be a bad move as the attack isn’t where they need the most work.

    Reply

Leave a Comment