Samir Nasri has urged his new Arsenal fans not to compare him with Zinedine Zidane.

He said: "I don't think it is fair to put that sort of pressure on a young player.

"There's only one Zidane, just as there was only one Platini. I'm me, a novice, who is just trying to get better."

He also had a difficult farewell season in the French League. Beset by viral problems and injury, his stock fell during a stop-start campaign that nevertheless ended on a personal and professional high as Marseille qualified for the Champions League.

The club's manager, Eric Gerets, insisted that Nasri will give Wenger options, saying: "He feels he is better playing a little further down the field but I'm convinced he can play close to a centre forward.

"He is especially lethal around the box when he is not marked too closely. When he has a minimum of space, that's when he is dangerous."