Sevilla coach Jorge Sampaoli has heaped praise on French midfielder Samir Nasri following his strong start to his maiden campaign in La Liga.
Nasri joined Sevilla on a season-long loan from Manchester City on transfer deadline day and has started in five games in all competitions, scoring one goal and setting up another.
Asked about the importance of Nasri to his team, Sampaoli told Marca: "He is proving here that he has a superlative level. What we ask of Nasri is for him to be Nasri, his best version."
The 29-year-old arrived in Spain looking to prove a point after a difficult spell.
Having joined City for £25 million from Arsenal in August 2011, Nasri fell down in the pecking order at the club following the arrivals of Raheem Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne in the summer before the 2015-16 campaign. He then missed six months of the season after undergoing a groin injury.
He missed all of City's preseason for the 2016-17 campaign and after returning to training overweight, new coach Pep Guardioloa did not play him in the first four games.
Immediately after making his move to Sevilla, Nasri made an impact.
"Doubts regarding his commitment that could have arisen were soon completely erased during our trip from the airport to his hotel," Sevilla sporting director Monchi said of the 29-year-old in a recent interview with the club's website.
"He had seen all of Sevilla's games this summer. From the first day, you realise that he was committed. From that moment you know that he is not interested in wages, he came here to play at a high level."
Sevilla are also getting the best out of Spanish midfielder Vitolo, who is on international duty with Spain preparing for Wednesday's 2018 World Cup qualifier in Italy.
Vitolo turned down offers to leave Sevilla this summer, including one from Atletico Madrid, and instead signed a one-year contract extension to remain at the Sanchez Pizjuan stadium until June 2020.
"There were offers and not just that one [Atletico]," Vitolo told Marca. "I never considered leaving Sevilla. Monchi and the coach [Sampaoli] wanted me to stay and to be an important player at the club."
Vitolo has started in six games in all competitions for Sevilla and new Spain coach Julen Lopetegui was impressed enough to include the 26-year-old in his squad.
"I'm happy with everything that is going on and delighted to be back in the national team," said Vitolo, who had been given his national team debut under former coach Vicente del Bosque but was not included on the Euro 2016 roster.
"I feel I can still improve and continue to learn. Whether it's in Sevilla or here with the national team, I feel I have the trust of the coaches and that is crucial for a player to perform at his best.
"I have to take advantage of this opportunity because today I'm here but tomorrow that might not be the case."
Sevilla, who have lost just one game this season -- a 3-1 defeat at Athletic Bilbao on Sept. 24 -- have entered the international break in third place in La Liga, just one point adrift of Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid after seven rounds.
Sevilla won last year's Europa League to clinch a spot in the Champions League.
They are second in Group H of Europe's elite club competition, level on four points with leaders Juventus after two games.