Ex-Arsenal and Man City star questioned for ten long hours by police

Former Arsenal and Manchester City midfielder Samir Nasri has reportedly been questioned by French police as part of a major investigation into alleged money laundering and drug trafficking.

According to reports in France, the 39-year-old was interviewed for around 10 hours by officers from the country's financial investigative unit (BRIF). Nasri has not been charged and is not believed to be facing any further legal proceedings.

Now working as a television pundit for Canal+, the former France international is said to have been questioned in connection with an investigation centred on a nightclub in Ivry-sur-Seine, south of Paris.

French newspaper Le Parisien reported that the case also involves Karim Berrebouh, an imprisoned Marseille-based drug trafficker known by the nickname "Marcassin" ("Baby Boar"), who has been behind bars since 2021. Nasri is understood to have known Berrebouh's family since childhood.

Investigators are examining Nasri's investment in the nightclub, XS, after he purchased a stake in the venue in 2016 while still playing for Manchester City. The wider investigation reportedly focuses on financial activity between 2021 and 2023, during which authorities allege cash linked to Berrebouh was handled through the business.

During questioning, Nasri reportedly told investigators that he believed he had already sold his entire share in the nightclub to Berrebouh through an informal verbal agreement. His lawyer, Said Harir, declined to comment on the reports.

Nasri emerged as one of France's brightest young talents at Marseille before joining Arsenal in 2008. After three seasons in North London, he moved to Manchester City, where he won two Premier League titles under Roberto Mancini and Manuel Pellegrini.

The midfielder later had spells in Spain, Turkey and Belgium before retiring. His career also included a UEFA suspension in 2018 after he received an intravenous nutrient treatment that breached anti-doping regulations.

At this stage, French authorities have not brought any charges against Nasri, and there is no indication that he remains under further legal investigation.