City seal Nasri deal

Manchester City have finally completed the protracted signing of Samir Nasri from Arsenal.

City have been chasing the France midfielder for most of the summer and this afternoon announced his capture on a four-year contract.

The fee for the 24-year-old has not yet been disclosed but is thought to be around the £24million mark.

The capture of Nasri, who could make his debut in this Sunday's Barclays Premier League game at Tottenham, continues City's remarkable spending of recent years.

He is the club's fourth major signing of the summer transfer window following the club record £38million purchase of Sergio Aguero and defenders Stefan Savic and Gael Clichy.

Nasri had just one year remaining on his contract at Arsenal, whom he joined in 2008, and the London club have agreed to sell now rather than risk losing him on a free transfer next summer.

Arsenal have been reluctant to part with one of their prized assets - whose departure follows that of former captain Cesc Fabregas - and City may well have pulled out had Nasri become cup-tied.

That could have cost the London club a huge transfer fee with Nasri having made clear his desire to leave by refusing a new deal. And for Mancini, the capture signals the end of a five-year pursuit of Nasri.

He told www.mcfc.co.uk: "He's a fantastic player because he has technique, he has mentality.

"I knew him when he played for Marseille. I followed him when I was at Inter and we wanted to take him five years ago. But I think in the last few years in the Premier League he's improved a lot. Now I think he's a top player."