Samir Nasri has insisted that Arsene Wenger was forced to sanction his transfer to Manchester City by Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke.

Nasri joined Roberto Mancini's side in 2011 for a fee of £24m, just weeks after Cesc Fabregas left the Emirates Stadium for Barcelona.

The French midfielder has revealed that Wenger had no say in his sale and that he was forced to leave for sporting reasons in search of silverware.

He told beIN Sport: "Wenger told me that if Cesc left, I would stay but Kroenke wanted the money.

"The coach told me we'll only take Gervinho. Cesc was already gone, I had only one year left so I decided to leave.

"I do not have regrets. I do not regret joining Manchester City. I want to play and perform. My departure from Arsenal was purely for sporting reasons."

The 25-year-old has been a peripheral figure at the Etihad Stadium this season, with Mancini admitting last weekend that the playmaker's inconsistent form has left him frustrated.