Manchester City net free agent and France full back Sagna

Arsenal right back and France international Bacary Sagna has agreed to sign with next season’s title favourites Manchester City (7/4).

He will move on a free transfer after seven years with the Gunners, as his contract expires this summer, and will join up with his new club when his country return from the World Cup. Sagna will be the fifth player from the north London side to move to the Etihad in recent times, after Emmanuel Adebayor, Kolo Toure, Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy.

An Arsenal statement said: “Everyone at Arsenal Football Club would like to thank Bacary for his fantastic contribution, and wish him all the best for the future.”

While the player himself posted on social media: “To be fair, i don’t even know where to start or even how to say it… but i just wanna thank the whole Arsenal FC… a family to me, a club who taught me so much in 7 years, a club where i had the chance to progress day by day, a club who always gave me his trust whenever i was personally not at my best, a club who change the kid i was to the man i am today, a club where i had the pleasure to give 200 pr cent every game (sic).

“I wanna thank the whole staff working at the club, the fans for accepting me so fast, making it smoove for myself and my family, my team mates witch i consider my true friends today and i had a great pleasure learning with them,” he continued.

Sagna, 31, also had kind words for compatriot Arsene Wenger. He added: “Of course i wanna thank the coach MR WENGER… who believed in me..gave me his trust..and clearly changed my life. Now, it’s time for me to move on and one more time THANK YOU.”

The Frenchman, who was signed from Auxerre for a reported fee of around £6.5 in 2007, has already been handed the number three shirt by City (the same he wore at Arsenal), which was previously worn by fellow World Cup call-up Brazilian Maicon, who is now at Roma.

Sagna, who made 286 appearances for the Gunners in all competitions, including 48 this season, will face competition from the likes of Pablo Zabaleta and Micah Richards in the right back position. He will also link up with countrymen Nasri and Clichy, who were both left out of the France World Cup squad.