Arsenal Transfer News: Wenger "I Will Pay £40m" For Nasri Replacement
Manchester City are poised to complete the signing of Arsenal midfielder Samir Nasri for around £25m, according to various reports.
The transfer could be finalised in the next 24 hours, with the French international due in Manchester on Thursday to undergo a medical before signing a five-year deal.
Nasri, 24, joined the Gunners from Marseille in 2008 but entered the final year of his contract in August and has refused to sign a new deal at the Emirates.
The midfielder, who has scored 27 goals in 124 appearances for Arsenal, is set to become the second high-profile departure from the London side this week, after captain Cesc Fabregas finally re-joined Barcelona.
The deal will take City manager Roberto Mancini's summer spending beyond £70m. Sergio Aguero arrived earlier this month for a club record £39m and a further £13m has already been spent on Stefan Savic and Gael Clichy.
Nasri's exit will conclude one of the summer's longest-standing transfer sagas. Earlier this week, the 24-year-old used Twitter to deny accusations on Facebook that we would leave the club with a sense of "anger and bitterness."
The account, which Nasri claims was a fake, said: "It's [the transfer to Manchester City nearly done. I will leave with bitterness and anger in my heart. I am proud for having played with the Gunners.
"I have been very disappointed by the supporters last weekend. I am still an Arsenal player but I will leave very soon."
Meanwhile, Wenger's hopes of signing Valencia winger Juan Mata suffered a further setback on Wednesday after reports revealed Chelsea are interested in signing the 23-year-old.
Roman Abramovich had a £22m bid for the Spain international rejected earlier this week but the London side are confident a deal in the region of £26m should be enough to tempt Valencia to sell the midfielder.
Arsenal failed to meet the player's £22m buy-out clause which expired at the end of July but Wenger has hit out at the critics who claim he does not want to spend the £55m generated from the sales of Fabregas and Nasri.
"I will pay £30m I will even pay £40m if I find the right players," he told Sky Sports News.
"But it's not a question of money; it's a question of quality we find. I think I have a wrong reputation of not wanting to spend money - I do not want to spend money for average players.
"We are not frightened to spend money when we think it's right. Our fans have more reasons to be proud of this club - the values here, the way the club is run, what the club is built [upon] - than being angry with the club.
"Of course we want to deliver trophies; of course we want to win trophies, who wouldn't want [that]? But we feel we were very close last year and my regret of course is that we didn't do it but we are battling on all fronts and a bit unlucky on all fronts I think."
West Bromwich Albion striker Peter Odemwingie remains hopeful of a move to the Emirates, according to the Daily Mail. The 30-year-old Nigerian is yet to sign a new contract at the Hawthorns and has been linked with Wigan and Tottenham but he tweeted yesterday: "I love this club and will leave only to a TOP team."
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