Why is Wenger willing to risk losing Nasri for free?

My title for this piece was going to be 'Wenger gives himself another year', before realising it sounded familiar. Indeed, I wrote < a href="http://arsenal-mania.com/articles/3108407/Wenger-gives-himself-another-year.html">an article with that headline in April 2010.

Obviously another year has gone past and not a lot has changed, including the manager's attitude. His approach to the precarious Samir Nasri contract situation is equally baffling as it is admirable, as it shows sincere confidence and belief that at long last things will work out.

The manager has said a big club doesn't sell its best players, and obviously thinks he can change Nasri's mind about leaving over the course of next season. If the French winger stays and plays a big part in what will hopefully be a successful season, then perhaps he will change his mind about leaving. That's obviously what Wenger is banking on, but it's a big gamble.

He said today: "I'm willing to keep Samir for another year, even if I risk losing him for nothing when his deal expires next season."

So there you have it - he's putting everything on the upcoming campaign. Big clubs don't sell their best players, but then again big clubs don't have trouble persuading their best players not to jump ship. I guess if we win nothing again in 2011/12, we're not a big club.

Maybe if that happens, Wenger will finally concede he has failed at his job. A key element of this youth project was that his players would feel a loyalty to Arsenal for kick-starting their careers, and if that isn't happening, and trophies aren't coming, then in what way can he possibly say this approach is working?

As I said, I admire his confidence. I just wish I shared it. Still, it does at least a little something to encourage fans that we're not a selling club; we could make a lot of money from selling Nasri now, but Wenger is putting on-the-pitch affairs first, and that's a real positive.

I hope Wenger stays strong on this issue, as we'll be a better team, in the short run at least, with Fabregas and Nasri in it.

Still, they need better defenders behind them, and a lack of action in that department continues to worry me.

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