More like this
Chamakh says Fabregas and Nasri ‘will leave’ Arsenal
Moroccan striker says it is strange that the Gunners have let Nasri run down his contract
With his biggest stars inching towards the exit door, the fans booing him and the search for a reliable centre back becoming increasingly frantic, the last thing Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger needed on the eve of the new season was for one of his current brood of underachievers to start running his mouth off to the press - but that is exactly what Moroccan international Marouane Chamakh has done.
During an appearance on the exotically named Foot & Co discussion show on L'Equipe TV the striker said he felt sorry for his manager, before announcing that he was convinced that both Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri were on the verge of leaving the club and that Wenger had been desperately, and unsuccessfully, been scouring the world for replacements.
"I don't believe it is the money that's stopping them moving," said Chamakh. "Wenger wants to find replacements but hasn't been able to... The trouble is that the season starts this weekend and that makes it even more difficult."
Chamakh evidently does not believe that keeping hold of Nasri for one more season makes much sense. The Frenchman has just one more year left on his contract and could leave for free at the end of the season. "Is the club prepared to turn down €20m just to keep a good player for one season?" asked Chamakh. "It is strange that a club like Arsenal could not have made him sign a contract earlier."
That criticism will probably not go down well at the Emirates, and will probably not do Chamakh any favours in the popularity stakes. The forward has already failed to live up to expectations. He himself arrived on a free transfer from Bordeaux last summer and was expected to be the missing link in the Arsenal forward line, but after an encouraging start he found himself even below Nicklas Bendtner in the pecking order.
Both Fabregas and Nasri have been included in the Arsenal squad to take on Udinese next week in the Champions League qualifier. If either do play for the Gunners they will be ineligible to represent anyone else in the competition this season, making them far less attractive to other clubs. ·
