Arsenal icon Patrick Vieira lured Samir Nasri to Manchester City

Posted Thursday, August 25, 2011 by The Sun

Arsenal icon Patrick Vieira lured Samir Nasri to Manchester City
ICON ... Vieira in his Arsenal days

Advice from former Gunners Kolo Toure and Gael Clichy, who also made the switch from North London to the blue half of Manchester, also made Nasri sure he was doing the right thing.

He said: "It's important to have advice from players who play with the club and know the club well and the difference between Arsenal and Manchester City. For me, they made a big difference."

Vieira ended his City career last season but is still behind the scenes at the club.

Wenger will not thank him for persuading Nasri to leave his sinking ship so soon after Cesc Fabregas joined Barcelona. But while Arsenal lose their best players, City simply add the best to their squad and now Nasri cannot wait to link up with the likes of Sergio Aguero and David Silva.

He said: "They're big players. When you arrive at the club you want to play with big stars.

"The first game Aguero played in, he scored two goals and made an assist.

"I love that kind of player. They're like me ? quick feet, good technique and like to play.

"When you play with guys like this you like to have a connection with them.

"I've no doubt with them, Yaya, Dzeko, Carlos Tevez, if he stays ? I'm just happy to be there in the dressing room and can't wait to play with them."

Nasri says in his home nation, France, City are already being compared to the Real Madrid set-up of a decade ago.

He said: "In France they call City the Galactic like Real Madrid when Zinedine Zidane was there."

Nasri is just frustrated he could not join the rest of the City stars at the start of the summer after making it clear to Wenger he wanted out.

He said: "I was frustrated because I said to the manager I wanted to leave.

"I wanted to do the pre-season with City so I could know my team-mates.

"But today is a big day for me, it's a new start and I'm looking forward to it."

Mancini was delighted to get the deal finally done.

He said: "As a player he is fantastic, because he has technique and mentality. I know him from Marseille, because I followed him when I was at Inter.

"In the Premier League, he has improved a lot and now I think he's a top player."

Nasri signed a four-year deal worth £175,000-a-week ? triple the wages he was on at Arsenal.

Nasri was welcomed by City fans outside the Etihad yesterday and took time out to have pictures taken and sign autographs.

He follows record £35million signing Aguero, Clichy and Stefan Savic in Mancini's £75m summer spree.

The attacking midfielder, who can play wide or in the middle, completes Mancini's jigsaw as he battles for the Premier League, embarks on a first Champions League campaign and looks to add a domestic trophy after their FA Cup triumph last season.

That ended a 35-year wait for silverware at City.

Nasri is now looking to win his first trophy in the English game after failing to do that in three years at Arsenal after joining them in the summer of 2008.

Nasri was born and brought up in Marseille and joined his hometown club aged nine. He made his senior debut for them at the age of 17 and was named the French League's Young Player of the Year in 2007 ? the same year he made his international debut.

In all, he made 166 appearances for Marseille scoring 12 goals.

Coincidentally he could be facing them in the Champions League group stage this season if the draw lands right in Monaco this afternoon.

During his time at the Emirates he was named French Player of the Year in 2010 and shortlisted for the 2011 PFA Player of the Year.

He played a total of 125 matches for Arsenal and scored 27 goals, 15 of them last season. Nasri also has 23 caps for France.

With a Champions League draw to look forward to today and a massive game against Tottenham on Sunday, it must seem like the old days at the Emirates for Nasri.

Instead he is happy it is the new ones at the Etihad.

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