Manchester City F.C. midfielder Samir Nasri has put pen to paper on a new five-year deal with the English Premier League champions.
The France international, who was left out of Les Bleus’ 23-man World Cup squad by manager Didier Deschamps, has scored 22 goals in 129 appearances for City since joining from Arsenal in a deal worth around £25 million in August 2011.
Nasri is arguably coming off his best season with the Sky Blues, having scored in the Capital One Cup against Sunderland and in the title-clinching league match against West Ham United on the final day of the campaign.
Since arriving in Manchester, Nasri has won two Premier League titles and the League Cup but more importantly he won a £10,000 bet with talk show host Piers Morgan — a beloved Gooner — that he would win a trophy before his former club Arsenal.
Of course, his winnings went to charity.
Nasri is now looking forward to spending the prime of his footballing career at the Etihad Stadium.
“I’m really happy to have signed this contract and to have committed my future with City,” Nasri told mcfc.com.
“It’s exactly what I wanted when I joined this club and I am very happy that I found an agreement and I hope that we can continue to win titles.
“I’m 27 now and if you listen to some of the best managers in the game, they say that a midfield player’s best years are between 27 and 30 so I hope that I will give my best years to City.
“It took me time to adjust to living in Manchester because when you move here from London, it is a big change, but last year everything was perfect – I enjoyed my football and I love living in Manchester, feel very settled and I think that showed on the pitch.
“That’s why I’ve agreed this new contract – because I feel very much at home. Our supporters have been right behind me and it gives me the confidence to play my best game.
““Now I’m looking forward to the new season and to defending our title again.”
Can Nasri, who tallied seven goals and seven assists in 34 league appearances in 2013/14, help City repeat as Premier League champions next term?
Torino hoping for Cerci stay
Torino F.C. supremo Urbano Cairo is hoping that highly-rated forward Alessio Cerci will decide to stay at the Stadio Olimpico di Torino despite reported interest from AC Milan.
UEFA Champions League finalists Atletico Madrid, who completed the signing of Croatia international striker Mario Mandzukic from Bayern Munich on Thursday, have also been linked with Cerci.
“It’s not just Milan who are interested, but other teams too,” Cairo said. “I would like to keep him. I still need to find out what the player’s intentions are.
“We want to see whether there is a possibility of reaching an agreement with him or whether he is aiming for bigger clubs.
“We are playing in Europe next season, Milan are not.”
Cerci, who made one substitute appearance for Italy at this summer’s World Cup finals in Brazil, tallied 13 goals and 10 assists in 37 Serie A appearances for Torino last season.
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