Written by James McManus for FootballFancast.com: Fresh from being named in the PFA Team of the Year, Samir Nasri’s stock has skyrocketed this season on the back of a number of increasingly assured displays at the heart of the Arsenal midfield. While last summer’s tabloids were obsessed with the protracted affair involving Barcelona’s very public pursuit of captain Cesc Fabregas, the Catalan giants recent financial troubles should see the Spaniard stay in England for at least one more season – yet the feeling persists that Wenger would do well to hold onto Nasri this summer after a breakout season with the vultures beginning to circle around the Emirates once more.
Cesc Fabregas has had to take a back seat for much of the season as messrs Nasri and Wilshere have at times overshadowed the skipper‘s contribution to the team. Nasri has been Arsenal’s most consistent creative force this season and has come on in leaps and bounds.
One of Nasri’s main strengths is his relative directness when compared to his current midfield counterparts. For far too long Arsenal have rather fairly been characterised as a team that has a penchant for moving the ball sideways simply for the sake of it as opposed to searching for the killer final ball. They can lack a cutting edge despite their fluent play, yet Nasri sticks out like a sore thumb among the Arsenal midfield.
In his early days in France with Marseille, Nasri became accustomed to playing on the wing, as well as being granted the freedom to drift inside. His start at Arsenal also saw him confined to a similar role. But Nasri’s best season in an Arsenal shirt to date has coincided with a shift to the centre of midfield. Much like James Milner and Ryan Giggs (these days at least), these two former wingers have found life in the middle much more to their liking.
Nasri, now arguably as key to the Arsenal side as Fabregas, appears to have developed into a mature footballer on and off the pitch though. He seems a likeable, well-grounded if a little shy person when interviewed and the chances of him forcing through such a move are small, yet there is always the chance that his form may be inadvertently affected by the constant haranguing from the press, a fate that has befallen many before him.
There is also the thorny issue over why Nasri is yet to sign a new deal at the club too. The haggling over his new contract is thought to be over a desired pay rise in keeping with his increased standing within the team, rather than any desire to seek pastures anew. But with just over a year left to run on his deal, time is certainly ticking and the player is holding all the cards at the moment going into negotiations.
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“Nasri, now arguably as key to the Arsenal side as Fabregas, appears to have developed into a mature footballer on and off the pitch though”.
Is this the same mature footballer who refused to shake Gallas’s hand! Great research!
he didnt shake Gallas’ hand because he doesnt like him – sod all to do with his maturity. Gallas is a nutcase as we all know, had issues with over half the team so it is no surprise he has made enemies along the way.
Quite what any of that has got to do with ‘research’ is beyond me- you appear to be stating that not mentioning that Nasri was petulant over Gallas makes this a poor piece. Hmmm, look a wee bit closer to home mate.