Samir Nasri admits he turned down a ‘better contract offer’ at Lyon in order to join Premier League giants under Arsene Wenger Arsenal during the summer of 2008.
With Alexander Hleb’s future uncertain, the Gunners went into the window prioritising an exciting attacking midfielder. They got one too, in the shape of 21-year-old Nasri.
The fresh-footed Frenchman, a £12 million signing from Marseille, joined Cesc Fabregas, Robin van Persie and co in a young but hugely-promising Arsenal side, freeing up Hleb to depart for Barcelona a few days later.
Nasri could have joined Olympique Lyonaiss – then the dominant force of French football – instead. But his loyalty to former employers Marseille meant he was never going to swap L’OM for one of their biggest domestic rivals, even if Lyon were offering more money than Arsenal at the time.
Samir Nasri chose Arsenal instead of Lyon
“Lyon came to see me. There was (talks with advisor) Bernard Lacombe and (coach) Remi Garde. They made a better contract offer than Arsenal,” Nasri tells Zack en roue Libre, via Foot Mercato.
“But I couldn’t go to Lyon. I’m from Marseille. I couldn’t do that! I gave my agreement to Arsenal and there came President (Jean Michel) Aulas, who called me and made another offer.
“When I looked, I was like ‘oh’. But no, I went to Arsenal.”
Nasri spent three rather inconsistent years at the Gunners before completing a move to the rising force of Manchester City in the summer of 2011, following in the footsteps of Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Toure. Nasri, once of West Ham, Anderlecht and Sevilla, secured two Premier League titles during his time in Sky Blue.
Many at Arsenal were understandably displeased to see Nasri become the latest player to swap that red-and-white shirt for a direct Premier League rival. But the now-35-year-old ensured that his relationship with Wenger remained strong, paying a gracious tribute following his contentious departure over a decade ago.
“I will never forget what he did for me,” Nasri told City TV at the time. “He was like a second dad. “He came to sign me when I was at Marseille. I was an international, but I have become the player I am now because of him.
“He always trusted me even when I was injured. When I came back, he always gave me my chance. He was always there for me, always talked to me.”
