Roberto Mancini is optimistic Manchester City can wrap up the signing of Arsenal midfielder Samir Nasri 'very quickly'.
Arsenal midfielder closing on move to title rivals City
Roberto Mancini is optimistic Manchester City can wrap up the signing of Arsenal midfielder Samir Nasri 'very quickly'.
Sky Sports revealed earlier on Friday that City are in the final stages of negotiations regarding the proposed capture of the France international.
Nasri has just 12 months remaining on his contract at Emirates Stadium and looks poised to follow Cesc Fabregas in leaving the club.
And, while Mancini is currently focusing on City's game against Bolton Wanderers on Sunday, he is keen to finalise a deal for Nasri.
Good player
"I hope we can close it very quickly now, but I don't know the last news about him because my concentration is on the game," said Mancini.
"But I hope - also because the market finishes in the next 10 days."
Asked why there may have been a delay in proceedings, Mancini said: "I don't know - this is not my job.
"I don't know why, but it is probably because Nasri is a good player, or because there is some problem."
Losing Nasri on the back of Fabregas' long anticipated return to Barcelona will be a major blow to Arsenal's hopes of putting together a Premier League title challenge this season.
Gunners chief Arsene Wenger was hopeful of keeping one of his key men at the Emirates, but it appears he has now decided to sell rather than risk losing him for nothing when his contract expires next summer.
Nasri has not featured for Arsenal so far this season and his signing would be a major boost for City's own prospects of rivalling champions Manchester United for the title.
