Samir Nasri wants Arsenal to move in the market before resuming talks

Posted Tuesday, June 07, 2011 by theguardian.com

• French midfielder hopes big names will come to Arsenal
• Wenger linked to an array of glamour signings

Samir Nasri wants Arsenal to move in the market before resuming talks
Samir Nasri, on international duty with France, wants new faces at Arsenal this summer.

Samir Nasri wants to see Arsène Wenger make a serious impact on the summer transfer market before he considers committing his future to Arsenal.

The France midfielder is at impasse over his new contract talks, having deemed the club's offer of around £90,000 a week, which has been on the table for some weeks, to be insufficient. The stand‑off has led to angst and frustration at the club.

But while Nasri wants more money, he is equally keen to see Wenger add big names to a squad that fell apart when the trophies beckoned at the business end of this past season. Nasri, whose own fine form slumped in the final months, is similar to many of the club's supporters in the respect that he feels Wenger has to buy some proven talent.

Nasri has entered the final 12 months of his contract and, while it has been unfortunate that Arsenal have allowed the situation to develop, it is worrying that the 23‑year‑old has now spoken of the interest in him from Manchester United, who are in the market for a creative midfielder following the retirement of Paul Scholes. It could be that Nasri is using United as a bargaining chip. Wenger, though, has made it clear that he would not contemplate selling the player to the Old Trafford club.

Nasri said in an interview at the beginning of March that it was "today or never" for Arsenal to win the Premier League title. Disappointment at their capitulation – they took only 12 points from the final 11 matches and finished fourth, 12 points behind United – led to him asking questions about the strength of character in the dressing room.

Wenger, though, appears to have warmed to the theme of the need to galvanise the group. Although he is clear that his priority is to keep his existing stars, chiefly the captain Cesc Fábregas and Nasri, he does intend to be "very active" on the market.

He wants an experienced defender, who is used to the game in the Premier League, and Bolton Wanderers' Gary Cahill is a target, although Wenger is concerned that he is too expensive. He likes Paris St-Germain's Mamadou Sakho but he is only 21. Wenger also wants to reinforce in attack and he has been linked to an array of glamour signings, which might serve to appease Nasri. Wenger refuses to allow the former Marseille player to leave as a free agent next summer.