Samir Nasri was a fan favourite at Arsenal until he left for Manchester City in the summer of 2011.
Arguably Arsenal's finest dribbler at the time, Nasri was a cultured, creative midfielder with an eye for a pass. He was equally effective in a central role or cutting inside from the left.
Arsene Wenger made his move for the attacking midfielder after Euro 2008 having watched Nasri impress in Ligue 1 with hometown club Marseille and, even earlier, at the 2004 Under-17 European Championship.
Nasri was a regular in his first season at Arsenal and he settled quickly, scoring the winner against West Brom on the opening day of the 2008/09 season.
That was the first of seven goals that season, but two in particular stood out - Nasri's excellent brace in November of that year put Manchester United to the sword.
The midfielder missed the start of the following campaign with a broken leg he suffered in pre-season but returned strongly. He scored three times in the Champions League en route to the quarter-finals where the Gunners were knocked out by eventual champions Barcelona.
Nasri was left out of France's squad for the 2010 World Cup but no Arsenal player impressed more during the first half of the 2010/11 season.
At his best he bewildered defenders, and by January had scored 14 goals. Fulham were the victims of a stunning solo double in December and consecutive braces against Tottenham and West Brom followed.
Although he was not able to match those displays in the second half of the campaign, Nasri remained a vital cog in Arsenal’s midfield alongside Cesc Fabregas and Jack Wilshere.
But Nasri decided to cut short his Arsenal career and he left in August 2011 - just days after Fabregas.
Samir Nasri
