Last summer saw both Manchester giants become embroiled in a battle to acquire PFA Player of the year nominee Samir Nasri, but £24 million later the former Arsenal attacker appears a shadow of his former self.

The Frenchman initially struggled to adapt to life in Northern England and his performances appeared insignificant in comparison to his midfield partners, Toure and Silva. This has resulted in Nasri managing just 4 goals in 31 appearances and failing to nail down a regular slot in the team.

There are several possible explanation for Samir’s struggles in Manchester; first of all the form of David Silva who plays in a not all together dissimilar manner to the Nasri of Arsenal has resulted in the dropping of the Frenchman’s stock. Silva was arguably the outstanding player of the first half of the season, meaning Nasri was unable to get a game in his most favoured position.

Secondly Mancini demands much more of his attacking players defensively than Wenger does. The Daily Mirror quote Mancini as saying,

“…if we want to play with Samir, Silva, Aguero and Balotelli we need the four of them to work when we defend. Otherwise it is impossible to win the game.”

The defensive work required at Manchester City has not come so naturally to a player full of attacking flare, who almost enjoyed a free role at Arsenal.

However the last month or two has seen the green shoots of a recovery in Nasri’s form, a point his manager has been keen to empahise: “He has improved a lot in the last two or three months. He’s young and he brings a lot of quality to the team.” (Source: Daily Mirror)

While it would have been expected for a player already full of Premiership experience to make an instant impact at Eastlands, the young Frenchman may yet prove a shrewd buy once he has fully adjusted to the expectations of his Italian manager.

Nasri himself appears confident of repaying the faith City have shown in him through the £24 million transfer fee,

“What you want to do is to give something to the team and the people who brought you here and who trust you. The money and everything else isn’t my problem. After one year, it won’t be a problem.” (Daily Mirror)  

This quote from Nasri demonstrates both his desire to offer City a suitable return on their investment and also his belief that by the end of the season that his form will be sufficient to stop people discussing the transfer fee.

If Samir can find the form to fire City to the title, I’m sure few will asking what else £24 million could have been spent on come May.

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