Manchester City's Roberto Mancini plays down Arsène Wenger row

Roberto Mancini has protested his innocence in the row with Arsène Wenger over Samir Nasri despite Manchester City's attempts to lure the midfielder from Arsenal. The Manchester City manager, who is now prepared to sell Carlos Tevez to Corinthians providing the Brazilian club increase their £39m offer for the captain, provoked a furious response from his Arsenal counterpart at the weekend with the admission that he hoped to sign Nasri "by the end of the month". Both Manchester clubs are keen on the France international and City would double Nasri's salary should Arsenal sanction a transfer in excess of £20m. Wenger accused Mancini of lacking respect and of breaking "the basic rules of football" by publicly confirming his interest in Nasri, who, the Arsenal manager insists, will honour the final 12 months of his existing contract. Mancini, however, who admitted in the same interview that Sergio Agüero of Atlético Madrid would make an ideal replacement for Tevez, claims he gave Wenger no cause for his outburst. "I said only that Nasri, Agüero are two good players and I said also that Nasri is under contract with Arsenal," said the City manager. "I don't know why he's upset. Because the question was about some good players, I say it like this. I said also that Nasri is under contract with Arsenal and it's difficult. Only this."