Manchester City's creative attacking midfielder, Samir Nasri, has vehemently denied claims that he is seeking a return back to Arsenal - where he left for the blue half of Manchester four years ago.
A topsy-turvy campaign
The Citzens had a rather disappointing campaign in the 14/15 season compared to their high standards, as well as the fact they boast having one of the strongest sides on paper in Europe. Having finished in second place to eventual winners Chelsea, as well as tumbling out of the FA Cup (Middlesbrough), Capital One Cup (Newcastle) and being comphrensively taught a football lesson against eventual victors Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League, it was not a particularly great twelve months for the sky Blues given all the talent at their disposal.
Nasri was often a bit-part player for City, and struggled to make his mark in the first-team as he was limited to regular substitute appearances. With the likes of Kevin de Bruyne, Paul Pogba and Raheem Sterling all being heavily linked with switches to the Ethiad this summer, it has led to speculation over the Frenchman's future, which is seemingly uncertain despite the fact he signed a new five-year contract not long ago.
Gunners' fans bitter of Nasri's exit
When Samir's exit from the north Londoners was a formality, it left plenty of Gunners' fans bitter. Not only because of the fact he was leaving for a rival club in the same league, but also his reasons for doing so. He cited a desire to 'win trophies' and become successful as one, which was viewed as heavily disrespectful especially given the fact that Arséne Wenger gave him an opportunity to prove his worth - and he was progressing well with Arsenal. It came as a surprise then, that in the summer of 2011, he left in search of success at a club which was not known for it up until then due to a huge injection in transfer funds to work with.
A new bumper pay contract deal helped persuade Nasri, and his new nickname was '£ashri', suggesting he was only involved for the money. Despite flashes of individual brilliance which helped him gain a platform earlier on in his career, he often saw himself on the substitutes' bench due to a combination of injuries and lacklustre form.
With reports suggesting he wanted a reunion with the Gunners, he tweeted the following: "Never asked anyone to comeback!! Really happy where i am right no so stop with your silly story."
This news will come as an encouraging sign for City fans, who know that Nasri has obvious talent but needs a good run of form to be able to silence his critics. A move elsewhere, would be seen as a step backwards otherwise.