Manchester United to bid £20m for Samir Nasri - Belfast Telegraph

Thursday, 30 June 2011

Manchester United are getting ready to splash the cash again - this time on one of their main rival's best players.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson appears to be convinced he can overcome Arsenal's resolve towards keeping Samir Nasri - and will attempt to capitalise on the French midfielder's contractual impasse with a speculative 20m offer.

As far as Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is concerned, Nasri is not for sale - and ostensibly his price is the same 40m that Arsenal would want for Cesc Fabregas - because the London club want him out of Ferguson's reach.

But United, who are believed to have already held initial discussions through intermediaries of Nasri, have yet to test how Arsenal will respond to a 20m offer for a player who is out of contract next summer and thus worth probably half that sum.

United's only option now is to make an offer.

Meanwhile, new United goalkeeper David de Gea has signed a five-year deal after arriving from Atletico Madrid.

The Spain Under 21 international, who is United's third signing of the summer, has set his sights on filling the void left by Edwin van der Sar's retirement.

"In my opinion Edwin was the best goalkeeper in the world when he was at United," said de Gea.

"I hope to emulate him and spend a great number of years here.

"Hopefully I will equal or even surpass the performance and contribution he made to the club."