While playing with Pennes, Nasri was discovered by Marseille scout Freddy Assolen, who had been informed of the player's talent through local word of mouth.

[9] After returning to France, Marseille officials organized a meeting with the player's father and the group agreed to allow Nasri insertion into the club's academy at the age of nine.

He appeared primarily as a substitute in a few matches during the campaign as the reserve team failed to rebound from its bad start to the season, which resulted in a 16th-place finish and relegation to the Championnat de France amateur 2.

[18] In an effort to decrease the speculation, Nasri was offered a three-year professional contract by Marseille officials led by president Pape Diouf and manager José Anigo.

[24] In the Coupe de France, Nasri appeared in five matches as Marseille reached the final of the competition where the club faced Le Classique rivals Paris Saint-Germain.

[27] Marseille were due to face the same club in the 2007 Coupe de France Final just days later and were, subsequently, heavy favorites as a result of the team's two-goal victory in the previous match.

Due to the departure of Ribéry to Bayern Munich, Gerets installed Nasri as the focal point of the attack and he responding by having his best season at the club.

[34][35] In European competition, Nasri participated in the UEFA Champions League for the first time in his career, however he failed to make an impact in the four group stage matches he appeared in.

[64] He featured heavily with the team during the winter months and he ended the 2009 calendar year by scoring a goal and providing an assist 4–1 win over Portsmouth away at Fratton Park.

[65] After going nearly two months without scoring a goal, Nasri marked his goal-scoring return in emphatic fashion in the team's 5–0 second leg victory over Porto in the round of 16 of the Champions League knockout stage.

The goal, described by English newspaper The Guardian columnist David Lacey as "reminiscent of a lost art in British football", showcased Nasri's dribbling, as well as his individuality.

[92] On 30 January, Nasri was forced to leave the team's fourth round FA Cup tie against Huddersfield Town due to a hamstring injury.

[96] He lost out on both awards to Tottenham midfielder Gareth Bale and teammate Jack Wilshere, respectively, but was given consolation with an appearance on the association's Team of the Year.

[112] In March 2013, after a man of the match performance in a 4–0 win against Newcastle United, Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini said he "would like to give [Nasri] a punch" due to his inconsistent form.

[115] On 5 November, he provided assists for goals by Sergio Agüero and Álvaro Negredo as City cruised by CSKA Moscow 5–2 to advance to the knockout stages of the Champions League for the first time in club history.

[120] On 11 May, Nasri scored Manchester City's opening goal in a 2–0 defeat of West Ham United as the club won the 2013–14 Premier League title.

[125] Having overcome muscular problems,[126] he made his debut in La Liga nine days later in a 2–1 home win over Las Palmas, in which he completed over 90% of his 69 attempted passes and ran more distance than any player other than teammate Steven Nzonzi.

[133] On 22 February 2018, Nasri was given a six-month ban from football by UEFA, for breaching WADA rules in December 2016 by receiving an intravenous drip of 500 millilitres of water containing nutrients.

[135] With his ban from football due to finish on 31 December 2018, Nasri began training with West Ham United and undertook a medical in the hopes of signing a short-term contract.

[140] On 17 August he scored his first goal in the fourth match, a 4–2 loss at Kortrijk,[141] and on 25 September he opened a 3–2 extra time win away to Beerschot in the sixth round of the Belgian Cup.

[154] At under-17 level, Nasri, Menez and Ben Arfa were joined by Karim Benzema and tasked with the goal of winning the 2004 UEFA European Under-17 Championship on home soil.

[167] He featured in qualification matches for the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Championship and appeared as a substitute in both legs of the team's surprising defeat to Israel in the qualifying playoffs.

On 15 March 2007, Nasri was called up to the senior team for the first time by coach Raymond Domenech for UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying match against Lithuania and a friendly against Austria.

[170] Nasri said he was "very happy and very proud" to be called into the national team, stating that the call-up was all the more satisfying as the game was an important European Championship qualifier.

[178] The feud culminated on 20 November 2010 when Nasri lived up to a pledge he would not shake the hand of Gallas, who was then playing for Tottenham Hotspur, during the pre-match build-up.

[191] After two years of developing his physical traits, in the 2006–07 season, manager Albert Emon inserted Nasri into the playmaker role, where his vision, passing, technical skill and ability to read and understand the game suited him.

[194][195] His close control with the ball, speed, dribbling, crossing, and ability to use both feet suited the position well, which resulted in former manager Arsène Wenger deploying Nasri in the role during the player's four-year stay at the club.

In 2009, in order to accommodate the arrival of Russian attacker Andrey Arshavin, it was recommended by both Wenger and then-France national team coach Raymond Domenech that Nasri revert to his role as a deep-lying midfielder so the player could showcase his underrated defensive abilities.

The player had previously developed a superstition with regards to taking spot kicks, but conquered the issue after successfully converting two penalties in the team's League Cup victory over Tottenham Hotspur in 2010.

[49] He was described in a similar fashion by club scout Gilles Grimandi, who stated that Nasri was "a fantastic athlete, he's quick, flexible and good with his feet".