Gunners chasing Marseille wonderkid

3:00pm Friday 16th May 2008

ARSENAL are thought to be pursuing Marseilles wonderkid Samir Nasri.

The 20-year-old has recently signed a contract extension with the French outfit but the club have admitted that if a big offer were to come in for the attacking midfielder, he would be free to leave.

"Before thinking about bringing in reinforcements over the summer we need to know who is going to stay, and above all the players I want to keep," Marseille boss Eric Gerets told L'Equipe.

"If there is a big offer for Samir, then of course he will leave.

"I can't criticise the club because it is the same everywhere. When there is a huge offer made, players leave."

An offer of around £14million would be required to prise Nasri out of the Stade Velodrome, but it is not known whether Arsene Wenger would be willing to stretch to that amount.

The Gunners are also in the running to sign Lyon's Hatem Ben Arfa, with a £12million price tag on the young midfielder's head.