Arsenal Academy director Liam Brady is still optimistic that French midfielder Samir Nasri will sign a new deal at the Emirates and predicted that Arsene Wenger will be an active force in the transfer window this summer as he bids to end the Gunners six year trophy drought.
Speculation has continued to mount in the last month that Nasri will not sign a new deal in North London with talks breaking down over a prospective big money pay increase. With talk of a move to Manchester United irking Gunners fans who have over the last year taken the little Gallic maestro to heart, Brady has urged patience and predicted that a positive outcome was still on the cards.
Speaking to talkSPORT the former Ireland international spoke of the admiration inside the club for the former Marseille man’s qualities:
“We all rate Nasri. I think they have had pretty extensive contractual talks but they haven’t got to the conclusion yet. Sometimes it takes time, we all know that. There has been plenty of players in that position, but I’d be still optimistic that Samir is playing with us next year.”
Reflecting on the trend for football gossip which has engulfed the European game since the end of the season, Brady continued:
“There is not a lot of football going on, so all the talk in the papers is going to be who’s going where and who is going to spend this and who is going to spend that. When I played in Italy it was exactly the same. It is transfer fever at the moment.”
Arsenal have been linked with a host of big names with the club thought to be keen on strengthening throughout the squad. Defenders Gary Cahill, Phil Jagielka, Christopher Samba and Phil Jones have all been tipped in various quarters to strengthen the defence at the Emirates, while the likes of Lille winger Gervinho and Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema have been spoken as possible attacking recruits.
Accepting a need to find value in a crowded market, Brady hinted that he expected Arsene Wenger to spend over the coming months:
“I do think there will be a lot of business done this year and we’ll be spending a bit more money than we’ve spent in past seasons. Arsenal will spend this year.”
The problem is that all of this ‘business’ can’t take place until these damn contracts have been sorted!
Yes there will be lots of business done in the summer with Nasri leaving, Fabregas leaving, Arshavin leaving and Clichy leaving. Sorry but I don’t believe a word that comes out from Arsenal any more.
Chippy Brady should know all about players wanting to leave Arsenal, as he did the very same thing himself in 1980. It broke my heart to see him sign for Juventus for only £600,000 at the time.
“little Gallic maestro” ? He’s French, we get it, but he’s of Algerian descent. Don’t you think referring to him by France’s cultural heritage is a bit of a stretch when it has nothing to do with him personally?
[…] Then the news emerged that we did bid for him, we offered him more than United did, but he chose to go there. Which I understand completely. Location, they’re the champions and he can go there and learn from players like Vidic and Ferdinand which must have played a part in his decision. Still, we can look at it as a positive that Arsene Wenger was prepared to break his own transfer record and hope that this signals a change in his approach this summer. Hints of that came earlier from Liam Brady. […]
[…] wesoło ale wiecie do czego zmierzam). Wygląda na to, że Arsene będzie wydawał a Liam Brady miał rację przewidując „gorące lato” w […]