It appeared to be a done deal. Many newspapers were last week reporting that Samir Nasri was practically an Arsenal player, thus bolstering the Gunners squad after the departure of Mathieu Flamini. However, the Daily Telegraph report that Arsene Wenger is not so confident anymore, and has conceded that he will have to wait until after Euro 2008 to try and sign the Frenchman.
“Nasri, he interests me,” Wenger said. “I hope I will do it after the Euros. It is more complicated now because the wage differences [between the French and the English league] are not as big as they used to be. Just look at Karim Benzema. He is 20 and recently signed a new deal with Lyon.
“England is considered one of the two top leagues and the best players want to play against the best players.”
It’s surely a dangerous game to wait until the end of the month, especially if Nasri plays a starring role for Les Bleus over the coming weeks. It appears that Arsenal are still in pole position to sign the playmaker, although the issue of the club’s wages is rearing its ugly head once again. Will other clubs come in for the player and offer a higher salary than the one currently on the table?