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It’s all Arsene Wenger’s fault. What a mess. Waiting all summer long to somehow convince Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri to stay while not showing any sign of really making a push in the transfer market for some well known and proven name. Roberto Mancini does have more resources to make such moves, and the Nasri deal, on the verge of being signed, has him in a position to suggest Wenger with who to play against Udinese.
In the Italian’s words – It will be a big problem if Nasri plays against Udinese this week… If Nasri plays, even for a minute, in the Champions League qualifier, he’ll be no use for City in the Champions League or the Europa League later on. Somewhat of a catch 22 for Wenger. Arsenal looked awful against Liverpool at home, allowing the Reds their first ever win at the Emirates. Arsenal looked bad at Newcastle as well. With Nasri and without, Arsenal looked like a lost team, partially broken.
With the current squad, even with Gervinho (a good signing yet to be proven, probably), Arsenal aren’t good enough to challenge for titles. The window for bringing in anyone (the few left open to bids) who can make a real difference is closing. Mata, who was keen on the move earlier has signed with Chelsea. Not too many options left. Maybe Modric? Very unlikely. Wenger is stuck, and a failure to deliver a Champions League berth might be a tragic way to end his long tenure with the Gunners.
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Does Roberto Mancini need Nasri that bad? David Silva is a better player, and I don’t see both of them in the same lineup. Still, if money is not an object and Mancini can handle the fragile egos of players on the bench, why not? Another top player won’t hurt. City look good early on, but things can always be better. Waiting a year for Nasri to come for free might be even better. But who says he’ll choose City by then?
Wenger will lose Nasri. Even if he opts not to sell the Frenchman in the next 10 days, Nasri will just leave next summer for free, or this January for less than the 25 million offered right now. Staying too long at a job and a position he doesn’t perform as good as he did, Wenger is seeing everything crumble. Maybe I’m a bit too dramatic – Arsenal have had bad starts before. Still, this year, things looks worse than ever. An ending kind of feeling to the beginning of the season. For Manchester City and Roberto Mancini, with Samir Nasri or not, it’s the other way around.