Ahead of the 2004–05 season, several clubs were reported to be interested in signing Nasri, most notably English clubs Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Newcastle United. 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. On 13 August 2004, Nasri agreed to the contract. Marseille officials had been eager to sign Nasri to a contract in an attempt to not undergo a situation similar to the departure of Mathieu Flamini, in which the player departed the club without Marseille receiving any compensation. As a result of his professional contract, Nasri was promoted to the senior team by Anigo and assigned the number 22 shirt. He began the season playing on the club’s reserve team and appeared in four matches before earning a call up to the senior team in September 2004.

The 2005–06 season saw Marseille boosted by the arrival of attackers Franck Ribéry and Djibril Cissé, the latter arriving after having a successful loan stint with the club the previous season. Nasri, who was now given a more prominent role within the team by new manager Jean Fernandez, formed impressive partnerships with the two along with lead striker Mamadou Niang. He appeared in 49 total matches, which included appearances in both the UEFA Cup and the UEFA Intertoto Cup. Nasri made his European debut on 16 July 2005 in the first round of the 2005 UEFA Intertoto Cup against Swiss club Young Boys. Marseille won the first leg 3–2. In the second leg, Nasri scored his first European goal in a 2–1 win. Marseille ultimately won the competition after beating Spanish outfit Deportivo de La Coruña 5–3 on aggregate. In the league, Nasri appeared in 30 matches, 25 as a starter. He scored his only league goal of the season on 29 April 2007 in a 4–2 win over Sochaux. 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. Nasri appeared as a substitute in the match as Marseille were defeated 2–1. Following the season, Nasri signed a two-year contract extension with the club until 2009.

Nasri began the 2006–07 season playing under Albert Emon, his fourth different manager in three years. Despite this, Marseille’s now heightened popularity saw increased speculation from writers and supporters that the club would finally win its first league title since the 1991–92 season. Nasri began the season on a quick note scoring the second goal in the team’s 3–1 win over Paris Saint-Germain in September 2006. On 29 April 2007, Nasri scored a goal in Marseille’s 4–2 hammering of Sochaux. 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. However, Sochaux recorded an upset victory defeating Marseille 5–4 on penalties after the match ended 2–2 following extra time. On the final match day of the season, Nasri converted the only goal in a 1–0 win over Sedan. The victory secured 2nd place for Marseille and was the club’s best finish since finishing runner-up to Bordeaux in the 1998–99 season. Nasri finished the season with a career-high 50 appearances, 37 of them in the league. For his efforts, he was awarded the UNFP Young Player of the Year award and named to the Team of the Year. Nasri was also voted the Club Player of the Year by supporters, receiving 62% of the votes ahead of the likes of Ribéry and Niang.

On 4 December, Nasri scored two goals against Fulham to give Arsenal a 2–1 win. The victory placed Arsenal at the top of the league table. The two goals were Nasri’s seventh and eighth goals, respectively, in the league and his tenth and 11th overall. Just four days later, Nasri scored a goal in Arsenal’s vital last group match against Partizan, a 3–1 victory. On 13 December, for his performances during the 2010 calendar year, Nasri was named the France Football French Player of the Year, edging Chelsea midfielder Florent Malouda and Lyon goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. He became the first Arsenal player to achieve the honour since Thierry Henry in 2006. Nasri was also rewarded domestically for his performances in December, winning the Fans’ Player of the Month for the second time in the season and also capturing the club’s monthly award. He won the award for the second consecutive month in January.

Upon entering the Marseille youth academy, Nasri quickly impressed. Upon moving to Bastide, where the club’s youth players reside, his style of play began to take shape. In 2007, Nasri admitted that the move to Bastide really helped his game, stating, “That’s where I really started to progress. Training was different and the facilities are beautiful, all of which helps you work well.” As a result of his quick progression, Nasri was an integral part of every youth team he was a part of winning several trophies, such as the Championnat de Provence, Coupe de Provence, and the Ligue de la Méditerranée. After spending most of the 2003–04 season playing with the club’s under-18 team, for the latter part of the season, the now 16-year-old Nasri was promoted to the club’s reserve team in the Championnat de France amateur, the fourth division of French football. 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.

Similar to his previous three years at Marseille, Nasri began the new season under new management as the club was now being led by the Belgian Eric Gerets. 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. He appeared in 42 total matches scoring a career-high six goals and also assisting on a career-high 15 goals. Nasri formed partnerships in the midfield with winger Mathieu Valbuena and midfielders Lorik Cana and Benoît Cheyrou as Marseille boasted the third-best attack in the league behind champions Lyon and Bordeaux, who finished first and second in the league respectively. Initially, Nasri struggled during the infancy of the campaign due to dealing with the effects of a severely sprained ankle suffered in the pre-season. He failed to score a goal or provide an assist in the team’s first eight league matches. On 24 November 2007, he assisted on two goals in a 2–0 victory over Metz. Nasri closed out the fall season by assisting on the equalizing goal in a 2–2 draw with Bordeaux and making the final pass on the match-winning goal against Le Mans.

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. 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. He appeared on the bench in the match against Lithuania, but failed to make an appearance. Nasri made his international debut on 28 March against Austria at age 19. He started the match and was involved with the only goal, delivering the free-kick from which Karim Benzema scored. Nasri returned to the team in June for matches and, on 6 June, scored his first international goal in a 1–0 Euro qualifying win over Georgia.

On 16 November 2007, Nasri scored his second international goal in a friendly match against Morocco. As a result of his performances, he was named in the 23-man squad to participate in Euro 2008. Nasri made his debut in the tournament on 9 June 2008 in the team’s opening group stage match against Romania, appearing as a substitute. He did not appear in the team’s 4–1 loss to the Netherlands, but did appear in the team’s final group stage match against Italy. Nasri appeared as a substitute for the injured Franck Ribéry in the tenth minute. Following defender’s Eric Abidal’s red card in the 24th minute, Nasri was taken out of the match in order for defender Jean-Alain Boumsong to take Abidal’s spot in the lineup.

Following the winter break, Nasri’s goal-scoring began to take form. In late January, he scored goals in back-to-back matches against Nancy and Caen. 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. He missed the club’s upset victory over Liverpool at Anfield due to dealing with a bout of meningitis. Marseille ultimately finished the group in third place, which resulted in the team qualifying for the round of 32 of the UEFA Cup. The club was defeated in the round of 16 by Zenit Saint Petersburg despite being up 3–1 heading into the second leg. Of those three goals Marseille scored in the first leg, Nasri assisted on two of them. On 16 March 2008, Nasri scored a goal in a 3–3 draw with Lens. A month later, he scored the game-winning goal in a 2–1 victory over Metz. In his final match with Marseille, against Strasbourg, Nasri scored a goal and assisted on another in a 4–3 victory. Marseille finished the league campaign in third place, which resulted in the club qualifying for the UEFA Champions League for the second consecutive season. On 8 May 2008, with all the transfer speculation surrounding the player, Nasri surprised many by signing a three-year contract extension with the club until 2012.

One week later, despite signing a contract extension with Marseille, Nasri was linked with a move to Premier League club Arsenal. Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger had been tracking Nasri since watching him play at the 2004 UEFA European Under-17 Championship. It was later revealed that the contract extension Nasri signed with Marseille was simply protocol to allow Marseille to receive a higher transfer fee for the player. The Bouches-du-Rhône-based club was seeking £14 million for the young midfielder. Ahead of UEFA Euro 2008, both Nasri’s agent and Wenger admitted that offers were made for the player and that a move to the English club was imminent. The deal was ultimately concluded following the competition on 11 July 2008 with Nasri agreeing to a four-year contract. The transfer fee was undisclosed, but has been purported to be in the region of £12 million. Upon arriving at the club, Nasri admitted Wenger was one of the primary reasons for him joining the club: “The fact that Arsène Wenger gives great opportunities to young players is very important for me. Arsène has a great reputation and he is one of the best managers in the world.”

Nasri was given the number 8 shirt – previously worn by Arsenal legends Ian Wright, George Graham, Alan Sunderland and Freddie Ljungberg – and made his club debut on 30 July 2008 in a friendly match against German club VfB Stuttgart in a 3–1 win. He made his Premier League debut in the team’s first match of the league season on 16 August against West Bromwich Albion. In the match, Nasri scored his first league goal scoring with a close-range effort, after four minutes in a 1–0 victory. As a result of his debut goal, he became the 83rd player in Premier League history to score on his league debut and the 22nd Arsenal player. On 27 August, Nasri scored his second goal for the club in the team’s 2008–09 UEFA Champions League third round qualifying second leg tie against Twente. Arsenal won the match 4–0 and the tie 6–0 on aggregate. On 8 November, Nasri scored both of Arsenal’s goals in a 2–1 win over Manchester United.

In November 2008, Nasri was one of a group of young players who were accused of being insolent during the team’s campaign at Euro 2008. The accusation came from domestic teammate William Gallas, who made the charge in his autobiography. Though not explicitly named in the book, Nasri was widely identified as the player in question. In 2010, after failing to make the 2010 World Cup squad, Nasri opened up about the situation, stating that during Gallas’ final year at Arsenal, Nasri was one of “four or five” Arsenal players who did not speak to the defender. 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.

On 21 December, Nasri assisted on the opening goal scored by Robin van Persie in the team’s 1–1 draw with Liverpool. Nasri returned to his scoring form in the new year. On 17 January 2009, he scored the second goal in the club’s 3–1 win over Hull City at the KC Stadium. It took Nasri another two months to score another goal, which came in Arsenal’s 3–1 away win against Newcastle United. He finished his first campaign at Arsenal appearing in 44 matches, scoring seven goals and providing five assists.

On 21 July 2009, while participating in a training match during pre-season with Arsenal in Bad Waltersdorf, Nasri suffered a broken leg. The injury required two to three months of rest and, as a result, Nasri missed the opening of the 2009–10 Premier League season. He made his debut late in the campaign on 25 October 2009 in a League Cup tie against Liverpool. Nasri played the entire match in a 2–1 win. On 4 November, he scored his first goal of the season in the team’s 2009–10 UEFA Champions League group stage match against AZ. Three weeks later, Nasri converted another Champions League goal, this time against Standard Liège in a 2–0 win. 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.

In the 2008–09 season, Nasri appeared in only three matches with the national team. After playing against Lithuania on 28 March 2009, the midfielder went uncapped for the almost a year and a half. During the 2009–10 season, Nasri grew weary of his chances of appearing with the team at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. In the end, he did not appear with the team, failing to make the 23-man squad or even the preliminary squad.

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. Nasri is also an underrated direct free kick and penalty kick taker. 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. Wenger describes Nasri as a “young, quick and technically outstanding player”. He is described in a similar fashion by club scout Gilles Grimandi, who stated that Nasri is “a fantastic athlete, he’s quick, flexible and good with his feet”. Nasri’s playing style, ability and cultural background have drawn comparisons to Zinedine Zidane. After joining Arsenal and excelling on the wing, the English media began comparing him to former club player and compatriot Robert Pires.

Ahead of the 2010–11 season, Nasri admitted he was determined to re-capture his form that resulted in Arsenal signing him two years prior. He also admitted he did not take missing out on the 2010 FIFA World Cup well, stating, “When I discovered that I wasn’t part of the squad for the World Cup, I got a big slap in the face.” However, after speaking to Arsène Wenger, who informed him he should use the non-call-up as motivation, Nasri was reassured. Nasri started the campaign well. He was named in Arsenal’s starting line-up to play against Liverpool for the first match of the season on 15 August 2010. Nasri played the entire match in a 1–1 draw. After the match, Arsenal confirmed Nasri had suffered a knee injury that would keep him out for a month. However, the player returned to the team after just three matches to help Arsenal defeat Braga 6–0 in the 2010–11 UEFA Champions League group stage on his return. On 21 September, he scored a double in the club’s 4–1 extra time victory over North London derby rivals Tottenham Hotspur. Both goals were converted from the penalty spot. Fours days later, Nasri scored another double in a 3–2 home defeat to West Bromwich Albion.

Nasri continued his fine form as season wore on. In the club’s Champions League group stage tie against Serbian club Partizan, he assisted on a Sébastien Squillaci goal in the team’s 3–1 victory. In October 2010, Nasri went on a streak in which he scored goals in three-straight matches. He started the streak by converting a penalty in a 2–1 win over Birmingham City. In the club’s following match, against Shakhtar Donetsk, Nasri scored on a left-footed volley in a 5–1 victory. He also assisted on a goal in the match. Against Manchester City five days later, he scored the first goal and set up the third in a 3–0 victory. As a result of his performances in October 2010, Nasri was named the PFA Fans’ Player of the Month. In November, Nasri was on the score-sheet again netting the opener in a 3–2 defeat to Tottenham. A week later, he scored a volley in a 4–2 win over Aston Villa.

Nasri returned to the national team under the reign of new coach Laurent Blanc for the team’s friendly against Norway on 11 August 2010. He missed the September call-ups due to injury before returning to the team in October for Euro 2012 qualifying matches against Romania and Luxembourg. On 25 March 2011, Nasri captained the national team for the first time in its 2–0 Euro qualification win over Luxembourg. He provided the assist on the opening goal scored by Philippe Mexès. In the team’s final Euro qualifier against Bosnia and Herzegovina, Nasri scored the equalizing goal, converting a penalty in a 1–1 draw. The point gained from the stalemate secured a Euro 2012 qualifying spot for France. After appearing regularly in qualifying for Euro 2012, on 29 May 2012, Nasri was named to the squad to participate in the competition. In the team’s opening group stage match against England, he scored the equalizing goal in a 1–1 draw.

Nasri scored his 13th goal of the season in the 3–0 win against Birmingham City on 1 January 2011. In the FA Cup, Nasri scored his first-ever goal in the competition in a 3–1 win over Leeds United in the third round. On 30 January, Nasri was forced to leave the team’s fourth round FA Cup tie against Huddersfield Town due to a hamstring injury. He subsequently missed two weeks and returned to the team ahead of its Champions League knockout round tie with Spanish champions Barcelona. In the first leg, Nasri assisted the match-winning goal scored by Andrey Arshavin. Arsenal won the match 2–1, but lost the tie 4–3 on aggregate after suffering a 3–1 defeat at the Camp Nou in the second leg. On 8 April, Nasri was nominated for both the PFA Players’ Player of the Year and PFA Young Player of the Year awards. 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.

On 24 August 2011, it was confirmed Nasri had joined Premier League club Manchester City. The transfer fee was priced in the region of £25 million, and the player signed a four-year contract.

Nasri made his club debut on 28 August in a league fixture away to Tottenham Hotspur. In the match, he assisted on three goals as Manchester City cruised to a 5–1 win. In the team’s next match following the September international break, Nasri assisted on one of Sergio Agüero’s three goals in a 3–0 win over Wigan Athletic. On 1 October, he scored his first goal for the club, scoring the third goal in a 4–0 victory and also assisting on two other goals. After nearly two months without a league goal, on 3 December, Nasri scored his second goal for Manchester City, converting a free-kick in a 5–1 win against Norwich City. In the following month, Nasri scored his third goal for the club in a 3–2 win against Tottenham. On 21 March 2012, he scored the game-winning goal in a 2–1 win over Chelsea after receiving a through-ball from teammate Carlos Tevez. On 22 April, he scored in a 2–0 away win against Wolverhampton Wanderers. On 13 May, Nasri won his first Premier League trophy as Manchester City were crowned Premier League champions for the 2011–12 season after defeating Queens Park Rangers 3–2.

At the start of the 2012–13 season, Nasri switched his squad number from 19 to 8. On 12 August, Nasri scored and assisted a goal in the 2012 Community Shield, a 3–2 win against FA Cup winners Chelsea. A week later, on the opening day of the 2012–13 Premier League, he scored and assisted again in a 3–2 win against newly promoted Southampton. He then scored against Ajax in a 3–1 loss in the UEFA Champions League group stage. In December 2012, Nasri was criticised for not blocking Robin van Persie’s winning goal for Manchester United in the Manchester Derby.

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. On 14 April, Nasri scored the opening goal as City defeated Chelsea 2–1 in the FA Cup semi-final.

On 2 March 2014, Nasri scored the second goal as Manchester City defeated Sunderland 3–1 to win the 2014 League Cup final. For his performance in the final, Nasri received the Alan Hardaker Trophy, given to the Man of the Match.

On 10 July 2014, Nasri signed a new five-year contract deal with Manchester City, which will keep him at the club until 2019.

On 13 May 2014, France manager Didier Deschamps revealed his 23-man squad for the 2014 World Cup, omitting Nasri.

On 9 August 2014, at age 27, Nasri confirmed his decision to retire from international football.

On 22 November 2015, Manuel Pellegrini confirmed Nasri would miss four-to-five months of action because of a tendon injury sustained in training. On 10 April 2016, during his first match back from injury, he scored the match-winning goal against West Bromwich Albion as Manchester City won 2–1.

On 31 August 2016, Nasri joined Spanish club Sevilla on a season-long loan deal.

On 21 August 2017, Nasri signed for Turkish side Antalyaspor on a two-year contract for a reported €3.5 million transfer fee. On 31 January 2018, Nasri mutually terminated his contract with the club, having made eight appearances and scored two goals in the Süper Lig during his five-month stay.

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. On 1 August 2018, Nasri’s ban was increased by an extra 12 months following an appeal from UEFA’s ethics and disciplinary inspector. The ban was back-dated to 1 July 2017.

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. When the sanction ended, Nasri signed a short-term deal with West Ham until the end of the 2018–19 season. In May 2019, West Ham announced that Nasri would leave the club at the end of his contract in June 2019. He was released by West Ham at the end of the 2018–19 season.

On 5 July 2019, Nasri signed for Belgian club Anderlecht on a free transfer.