Samir Nasri admits he left Man City despite Guardiola's pleas to stay

Samir Nasri left Manchester City in 2017 despite Pep Guardiola's desire to keep him. The 176-time Manchester City player wanted a fresh start after the season and went on loan to Sevilla, reports manchestereveningnews.co.uk.

"Guardiola wanted me to stay, but after five years in Manchester I needed a change," Nasri explained after his move from England to Spain, which included Guardiola's current assistant and closest confidant Juanma Lillo.

Despite this, the manager spoke highly of him:

"He is aware of the situation. We have a lot of players in midfield and we support him while he is here. I like to work with those who want to be part of our team. I have watched him in these three games and I have seen his attitude in training."

"I still expect him to show weak moments. This guy has a unique ability to control the ball in tight spaces. He has the ball under control. He has his own special quality and the group is happy with his performance."

However, after a loan in Spain, Nasri's career began to decline. An 18-month ban for anti-doping violations, short spells in Turkey, West Ham and Anderlecht ended with injuries and retirement.