Nasri will bring the X Factor to midfield at Arsenal

The 20-year-old may have been compared to Zidane Zidane back in France, but his total of 32 minutes in a blue shirt at Euro 2008 gave him little chance to justify the comparisons.

Indeed, he suffered the ignominy of coming on as a substitute only to be taken off himself 15 minutes later.

He had replaced the injured Franck Ribery only for coach Raymond Domenech to be forced to change tactics and sacrifice the midfielder because defender Eric Abidal was sent off.

It meant France's early exit at the group stage was not the only cause of frustration for the nation's fans because many felt Nasri had been underused.

And yet the player himself has been keen to stress he has still much to learn.

He can still be guilty of making rash decisions on and off the pitch. This was proved by the premature announcement of his transfer to Arsenal on his official website last night despite the two clubs having yet to reach a final agreement.

Yet Nasri, who turns 21 on Thursday, is known as 'le petit prince' in France and he will be looking to add a touch of class to Arsenal's midfield.

He has been making the headlines across the English channel since he made his debut for Marseille four years ago, having progressed through the youth ranks from the age of nine.

The fact he shared the same birthplace as Zidane, as well as also having Algerian parents, made comparisons easy.

It is an accolade that has started to become a poisoned chalice to any young French talent and one he is keen to distance himself from. Earlier this year he said: "I don't think it's 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's trying to get better.

"I have a youthful inconsistency. I can sparkle for 20 minutes and then disappear for the next 10. It's not something that worries me because I consider it perfectly natural for a young player, but it's certainly something I'm working on improving."

However his potential is not in question. He helped France win the Under-17 European Championships four years ago and his impressive displays for Marseille earned him the Young Player of the Year award in 2007.

Arsene Wenger (below) has helped a number of young talents fulfil their potential at Arsenal and will be able to exploit the Frenchman's versatility by using him on the left or right flank as well as behind the striker.

And who knows, Wenger may be to Nasri what X Factor guru Simon Cowell has become to the likes of Leona Lewis.

The midfielder has confessed to being a huge fan of the French equivalent show Star Academy.

He said: "I enjoy it because I consider myself to be just like the people in the programme: youngsters trying to work on their talent in the hope of making it.

"The media has tried to change my status and claim that I've already made it, but that's not how I see it."