Former Manchester City and Arsenal midfielder Samir Nasri has reportedly been arrested in France on suspicion of money laundering. Nasri, 39, spent 10 hours in police custody in Paris on Thursday before being released without charge, according to reports in Le Parisien.
This was Nasri's second arrest related to the matter; he was initially questioned in late June in Marseille. The former France international was reportedly interrogated as part of a significant investigation into organized crime, including the importation of drugs, criminal conspiracy, and money laundering linked to drugs. The investigation is centered on Karim Berrebouh, an imprisoned drug trafficker from Marseille, and Olivier Sabbah, a key figure in the network laundering the proceeds of Berrebouh's criminal activities.
The inquiries into Nasri surround the money laundering aspect of the case, which is linked to the nightclub XS in Ivry-sur-Seine. Nasri invested hundreds of thousands of euros into the nightclub while playing for Manchester City and later became a co-owner. His fellow business partner, Bilele Z, was also arrested on Thursday.
Part of the probe by the Financial Investigation and Research Brigade of the Paris Judicial Police is believed to have been linked to the wife of convict Berrebouh. She is alleged to have visited the nightclub on several occasions to withdraw sums of money while her husband was in prison. During his interrogation, Nasri claimed he sold all his shares to Berrebouh, though that agreement reportedly remained verbal.
Nasri spent 10 years playing in England, representing West Ham, Manchester City, and Arsenal. Capped 41 times by France, he played 129 times for Manchester City, scoring 18 goals. He also scored 18 goals for Arsenal in 43 fewer appearances. His most prosperous spell was at City, where he won the Premier League twice, the League Cup, and the Community Shield. He also won the UEFA Intertoto Cup with his boyhood club, Olympique Marseille.
Daily Mail Sport has contacted Nasri's lawyer and the Paris Judicial Police for comment.