Soccer

City remain coy on Nasri link

Soccer: Manchester City chief executive Garry Cook refused to be drawn on the possibility of Samir Nasri joining the club from…

Tue Aug 16 2011 - 01:00

Soccer:Manchester City chief executive Garry Cook refused to be drawn on the possibility of Samir Nasri joining the club from Arsenal. The 24-year-old midfielder has been linked with a €28.5 million move to City and he could follow Cesc Fabregas out of the Emirates after the Spaniard joined Barcelona yesterday.

Nasri has yet to pen a new deal with the Gunners and so could leave on a free transfer next summer. The French international took exception to derogatory chants from some of the travelling Arsenal fans as the Gunners drew a blank against Newcastle last weekend; it was a game Nasri missed through injury.

The transfer window closes at the end of the month but Cook would not add to the speculation although neither did he deny the deal could materialise. He told BBC 5 Live: "We always try not to disclose anything. Obviously he's still an Arsenal player and we need to respect that. So unfortunately I will refrain from giving an update on that."

The future of Carlos Tevez has been the subject of speculation with the Argentina international linked with a move away from the Etihad Stadium for months. A proposed £40million move to Brazilian side Corinthians failed to materialise and the player has been linked with Inter Milan for some time.

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However, Cook claimed there had been no contact with the Italian club and believes Tevez will still be with City next month playing alongside summer signing Sergio Aguero. “He is still a Manchester City player and to see him playing alongside Aguero is going to be pretty exciting for all the City fans.”

Cook admits Champions League football is essential given the amount of investment in the north-west club. “(Manager) Roberto (Mancini) will be entering four competitions this year for the first time in many years and I have no doubt he will be trying to win every single one of them.

“Everyone has got an opinion of what we should try and achieve and what we should try and do. All I do know is that Roberto is a winner and last year he said he’s going to win the title and this year he’ll say the very same thing. We set out three years ago to build a successful, sustainable football club for the future.

“To do that you’ve got to be playing Champions League football and to be playing alongside the very best in Europe.”