French midfielder could make Ligue 1 return.
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Big-spending Monaco are considering a move to bring former Marseille star Samir Nasri back to Ligue 1 this summer, CaughtOffside understands.
The Manchester City midfielder has not had the best of times since his big-money move to the Etihad Stadium from Arsenal in 2011, despite playing a part in the club’s Premier League title triumph last season.
The Frenchman’s performances have been plagued by inconsistency, and this has led to speculation that he could be let go by the club this summer, as they look to rebuild their squad under new manager Manuel Pellegrini.
Former City boss Roberto Mancini admitted he found Nasri’s mixed performances frustrating, and Pellegrini is unlikely to keep the player around as he looks to bring in some new faces of his own, targeting the likes of Isco from Malaga and Borussia Dortmund’s Marco Reus as players who play in Nasri’s position. Sevilla winger Jesus Navas has also already been brought in, and could also occupy a potential spot on the wing for Nasri.
PSG were linked with the 25-year-old a few months back, but appear to have dropped their interest after a disappointing campaign from the French international, targeting bigger names such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale.
Monaco, however, are keen on giving Nasri another chance to shine in Ligue 1, after he established himself as one of the most exciting young players in the world in his time with Marseille. Backed by their wealthy Russian owner, the newly-promoted side have already brought in big names such as Radamel Falcao, Joao Moutinho and James Rodriguez, and are believed to be working on numerous other star signings.
Claudio Ranieri’s side have also been linked with other City starts who could be available this summer, such as Carlos Tevez and Edin Dzeko, though both of those seem set for moves to Serie A with AC Milan and Napoli, respectively. Nasri, however, has not yet had any major offers, and would likely be tempted by the money on offer at Monaco, as well as the chance to return to his native France.
City would supposedly listen to offers of around £17million for the former Arsenal man, and Monaco are likely to meet their demands as they will be keen to bring in more new players quickly, as they seem likely to miss out on another target of theirs in Hulk of Zenit St Petersburg, who is close to agreeing a move to Chelsea.
An in-form Nasri could end up being a good and relatively cheap option for Monaco as they aim to build a new-look team that can challenge PSG for the Ligue 1 title next season. The move would also be a timely one for Nasri, who has stagnated in England, and in truth does not look ready to cope with the physical side of the game in the Premier League.