Mancini eager to seal Nasri deal

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini wants to complete the signing of Arsenal midfielder Samir Nasri as soon as possible.

The 23-time France international is reportedly set to join City in a deal worth 23 million pounds and has been left out of Arsenal’s squad to face Newcastle United in their English Premier League opener on Saturday.

Mancini, whose team take on Swansea City on Monday, is hoping for a prompt end to the ongoing transfer saga.

“I think that the club are still working on this,” Mancini said. “Probably it’s not easy, I don’t know, but it’s important that we can complete our team quickly – in the next (few) days or next week because the first games in the Premier League are important.”

“We play three games before the close of the (transfer) market.”

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said the reason for Nasri’s exclusion from the squad was illness, but it is believed he will move from the Emirates Stadium before the window closes on August 31.

Meanwhile, Mancini said he was still unsure whether striker Carlos Tevez, who has been heavily linked with a move, would remain at the club.

“I don’t know if he will stay, but maybe it’s difficult to leave because at the moment he’s here and there isn’t a team that wants to take him,” he said.

“And if he stays I’m happy.”

Bosnian striker Edin Dzeko is likely to start up front at Etihad Stadium on Monday with City’s latest signing, Sergio Aguero, likely to start on the bench.