£22million for Nasri.....really?

Speculation has been rife about the Arsenal and France midfielder Samir Nasri swapping the Emirates most likely for one of the Manchester clubs (both Milan clubs were at one point said to be interested but appear to have turned their attention elsewhere). Nasri it seems is not interested in receiving a higher wage (makes a change for a Premiership footballer) but rather is more interested in silverware. The youngster has yet to win anything in his 3 years at Arsenal and in fact the only piece of club silverware that he has won was the UEFA Intertoto CUP in 2005 with Marseille, hardly much to shout home about.

The fact that the club appear to be on the verge of selling their best player, let's all hope the Fabregas to Barcelona annual nonsense finally comes to an end and as of yet the only 'big' name signing coming in appears to be the Ivorian forward Gervinho would understandably lead to Nasri feeling more than just a little disgruntled. The club have been linked with a whole host of top players Juan Mata (Valencia) and Gary Cahill (Bolton) to name two but as of yet nothing by the way of concrete signings.

Nasri

With Nasri apparently happy to move on and the club ready to cash in if he wont sign an extension, a valuation of £22 million has been thrown around but is he worth it?

Comparing Nasri's stats to those of other midfielders from the Big 4 it is easy to see why he is so greatly coveted. His 10 goals this season are matched only by Frank Lampard (and he takes all the pens at the Bridge) as well as having a shot accuracy rate which is only better by Lampard again. However in other areas it is clear to see that he falls far behind. His 1 assist throughout the entire season is pretty shocking when compared to Nani's 14 and even Arshavin's 11 as well as total number of passes falling well below that of his Emirates colleague Jack Wilshere. There is no doubt that he is a fantastic player but may be not as valuable as we all think. After all is Manchester Utd's Nani worth more than £22 million bearing in mind that he is more versatile and the same age.

Vidal

The fact that he has only got 1 year left on his contract should surely lower the price tag. Arturo Vidal at Bayer Leverkusen is one of the most talented players in Europe. A genuine box to box midfielder who already captains the Chilean national side at the age of 24 has got 1 year left too. Having had his most productive season yet with 10 goals and 11 assists, it is hardly a wonder that Serie A holders AC Milan and German giants Bayern Munch are fighting it out for the player who is expected to leave for around £15 million. That's right £7 million less for a player who is arguably a better all round footballer and certainly a leader than Nasri is not (yet).

So why is that such a premium is being placed on Nasri's head. Perhaps it is simply the fact that it is an english club selling to another English side. We have already seen Ashley Young go to Utd for £18 million again with 12 months left on his contract which should not have been any more than £15 million max and Aston Villa holding out for £19 million minimum for Stewart Downing which in light of the fact that Valencia are willing to selling Mata for £20 million seems like a ridiculous evaluation from the Midlands club but clearly someone is willing to comply.

Perhaps what this £22 million valuation speaks of is the over inflated prices that clubs domestically have to pay when buying from a rival; a premium that they do not when buying from overseas. Whatever the explanation might be there is little doubt that Samir Nasri is a fantastic player, possessing qualities that few others in England have and wherever he plays his football next season, the club for whom he is playing will be the richer for having him on the pitch,