Arsenal sell Nasri to City

London - Arsenal agreed to sell Samir Nasri to Manchester City on Tuesday, paving the way for the midfielder to join an expensively assembled squad already filled with attacking talent.

The 24-year-old France international was due to travel to Manchester for a medical examination on Tuesday, Arsenal said before the north London team flew to Italy for a Champions League playoff against Udinese.

Arsenal were compelled to sell Nasri for a reported 24 million pounds ($40 million) because he turned down a new contract and could have left on a free transfer next year when his most recent deal expired.

The attacking midfielder, who can play centrally or on either wing, scored 27 goals in 124 appearances for Arsenal since joining from Marseille in July 2008. Despite Arsenal's failure to seriously challenge for the English league title, last season was Nasri's most productive with 15 goals - 10 in the Premier League.

His impending departure comes a week after Arsenal finally sold captain Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona - a double loss that even manager Arsene Wenger signaled would be a sign of the club's declining status.

Wenger said last month that losing Fabregas and Nasri would be "the worst situation" for a club without a major title since the 2005 FA Cup.

"You cannot convince people you are ambitious after that," Wenger said on Arsenal's website. "You see about Fabregas leaving, Nasri leaving - if you give that message out you cannot pretend you are a big club.

"Because a big club first of all holds onto its big players and gives a message out to all the other big clubs that they just cannot come in and take (players) away from you."

Arsenal have opened their league campaign with a draw against Newcastle and a loss to Liverpool, while City have beaten Swansea and Bolton.

Nasri will be providing even more creativity for a City team already including the attacking talents of Spain midfielder David Silva, England winger Adam Johnson and Argentina forward Sergio Aguero thanks to Sheik Mansour's investment of more than $1 billion in three years as owner.