Marseille Offer Samir Nasri for Hatem Ben Arfa!!!!!

Normally, a rumor like this aren’t worth the paper it’s written on. But when L’Equipe gets involved, that means that something is afoot between the Rhone and the French Riviera.

Word is that Marseille would be willing to exchange Samir Nasri for Hatem Ben Arfa. It’s unclear if it would be a straight swap or if some money would be involved (presumably from Lyon). This rumor hasn’t been confirmed by either club, nor has it been denied, which is a sign in itself, since Pape Diouf and Jean-Michel Aulas are always quick to denounce interest in their star players.

The reasoning behind this swap is rather obvious. First, Nasri has voiced his discontent with Marseille’s see-sawing performances and has hinted that if they don’t qualify for the Champions League next year and make a genuine attempt at the title, he would consider leaving (sounds like a certain Franck Ribery).

If you read the excellent Marseille Offside, you’ll also know that Nasri hasn’t been playing anywhere near his best, and his form – and attitude – on the pitch has been downright disappointing.

As for Ben Arfa, he hasn’t been able to get constant playing time, and there are rumors of disagreements between him and Alain Perrin. As such, talks of a contract extension have been stalling. In an effort to play mind games, Diouf publicly said that he couldn’t understand why a player of Ben Arfa’s talent was being wasted on the Lyon bench.

As far as I’m aware, Lyon have not been quite as vocal in their admiration of Nasri, and the one time that rumors linked him with Lyon, Aulas denied them immediately. It’s not that Lyon don’t want Nasri, but Lyon getting Marseille’s star player is next to impossible considering the two are direct domestic rivals. That’s like Liverpool wanting Wayne Rooney. It’s not going to happen.

Nasri knows he can get transferred to the biggest clubs in the world, with Real Madrid and Inter leading the pack for his signature. That he’d agree to move to a Lyon side that is already filled to the brim with midfielders doesn’t make much sense. So I can’t imagine that this swap was his idea. Of course, his best friend in the whole wide world is Karim Benzema, and the two have repeatedly said that they want to play together (Benzema actually invited Nasri to come to Lyon) though the consensus is that they’ll have to wait until they’re at Real Madrid before that dream comes true. Those two together is anyone’s wet dream (but how much nicer would it be if Ben Arfa played alongside them? The Holy Trinity of French Football at the same club would be insane).

Awww….they wub each other.

However, Marseille are thinking of their own financial interests. Nasri’s asking price, which was originally set at €25m in the fall, has dropped steadily, and it seems unlikely that any club would pay more than €15m for him. I can see why Diouf would rather get Ben Arfa for that amount since he won’t get a player half as good from anywhere else.

What’s my take on this? That Marseille are trying to make trouble. They are none to happy that Lyon have jumped ahead of Marseille in the race to sign Miralem Pjanic, who may end up being a better player than Nasri in the long term. I’m guessing Diouf is hoping that dangling Nasri in front of Aulas will make Lyon slow down their efforts to sign Pjanic, which would give Marseille enough time to sneak in a better bid.

Anyway, I would rather keep Ben Arfa than get Nasri just because Lyon are stacked in midfield, and I just don’t know how he’ll fit into the squad. A player of Nasri’s talent has to play frequently, which means that Lyon’s other expensive signings will be forced on the bench. And that’s such a waste of money. But we don’t have a lot of talented left wingers. Aulas and Bernard Lacombe value Ben Arfa very much, and they know that Lyon need him more than Nasri at this point. I’m convinced that once Perrin leaves, a sensible coach would play him more often.

Though I have to admit that if this swap took place, it would be the craziest transfer in the history of Ligue 1. And I would much rather see these two players remain in France than go abroad. If this is what it takes, so be it.

Thanks to Jo for the heads up.

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Category: Jean-Michel Aulas, Transfers