Positive Signs For Cesc & Nasri But Doubts Remain

A human weakness is to distrust a source bearing ‘bad’ news, believing the same source when it is ‘good’. So what to do when they bring encouraging news? Take the positive or dismiss as a negative? Let’s take the positive, a more optimistic slant will surely now be put on the media stories about Samir Nasri’s future.

Sky Sports are hugely unreliable, purveyors of football tattle of the lowest order. The phrases ‘Sky Sports sources‘ or ‘Sky Sports understands‘ are generally followed by the most inaccurate speculation this side of Christendom.

Nasri’s Mr20% – quite possibly the most irritating man of that ilk since Alex Hleb’s agent appeared – offered the olive branch having found that platitudes offered to Manchester United was akin to hitting a hornet’s nest with a stick as far as Arsenal supporters were concerned,

I want to clarify that there has been no break with the Gunners over the contract’s renewal and we should meet again soon with Arsene Wenger. There are a few clubs interested in Samir, but it is useless to name them. Before listening to other teams, we need and we want to talk with Arsenal.

Daily Star hack David Woods really got to grips with the story though, offering up the news that Nasri wants £6m per year in salary. I’m not sure why this figure comes to bear but certainly it is not rounded if he worked it on a weekly basis. The rationale is that Nasri wants to top Cesc’s salary so the £384.62 each week must really be important. It is as credible as Arsenal trying sign Jermaine Defoe…

Leaving aside irritation over the agent-fuelled media speculation, it is a positive step that both Arsenal and the player are willing to continue negotiating. If a story appears on the Arsenal website that talks have broken down then there is reason to believe a parting of the ways is imminent.

Combined with Cesc‘s comments in Madrid, yesterday turned out to be positive for the moment, a step in the right direction. Once more, Fábregas failed to do the Spanish media’s bidding, refusing to request a move but not closing the door to that eventuality,

I am an Arsenal player. I have been very happy for eight years and I am very happy. You can never say never in this life as so many things happen that you can never predict.

Cesc nailed the Spanish media to the mast, noting that the reported meetings did not occur. Again it was carefully chosen words; He did not deny contact with the manager, simply that he had not met with him. Cesc is more PR savvy than Nasri, apologising for indiscretions in a similar situation a year ago. Mea Culpa rather than dismissing matters.

That said, he has a burning desire to play for Barcelona. As he said, they win trophies but also because they were his childhood team. We tend to forget that very few footballers play for clubs they supported as kids. Cesc also wants to win trophies, something Arsenal have not achieved. He highlighted failings in a positive outlook,

A player who is not frustrated at not winning titles is either lying to himself or lacks ambition…There is a good team and a good manager and one of the most faithful fan bases in Europe. With those I believe we can make progress and one day win an important trophy.

It would be quite easy to crow about these statements. A resolution to close the ongoing saga? Perhaps for a while in the media, this will be the case. It will not last, the Catalans will no doubt make an offer they consider fair but in turn is derisory. Fábregas has his prime years ahead of him. When Barcelona were chasing Henry, they noted that the price should reflect his age, experience, ability and revenue generating potential, essentially the return on investment. €30m seems on the low side of insulting.

With his contract entering the final years of its course, talks if not already ongoing will be tough for Arsenal under current circumstances. Whilst Fábregas is keen to stress he is happy at the club, not winning trophies is clearly going to be a difficult hurdle to overcome. It is a test of Ivan Gazidis’ recently stated ambition that Arsenal are going to prevent key personnel from running down their contracts. Persuade Cesc to sign a new deal now and I suspect many will be hailing you as a new David Dein.

According to reports, Arsenal are going to miss out on Ricky Alvarez. Which is a shame because it might have been a pleasant change to hear Martin Tyler screaming, “Rickaaaaaay” instead of Bianca loud-mouthing it in the Square. Also not joining Arsenal this week is Neven Subotic, a player who wafted across the transfer horizon last year but this year never got on the radar. Equally left-field is the belief from Sebastian Larsson that Arsenal want to re-sign him. Perhaps someone from the hacked Arsenal Magazine twitter account has been more creative than we thought.

’til Tomorrow.

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