Samir Nasri Joins Hammers

West Ham United have signed former Arsenal and Manchester City midfielder Samir Nasri - the day he completes a doping ban.

Samir Nasri has been without a club since 31 January, after leaving Turkish club Antalyaspor.

Nasri, 31, who has penned a deal until the end of the season, served an 18-month doping ban for using an intravenous drip treatment but the Frenchman is now available to play again from 1 January.

In his six-year stay with City, he won two Premier League titles and the League Cup.

"Coming back to the most competitive league in the world, with a team full of ambition with a manager that I know.... it's the best job in the world, and I'm really excited about it," said Nasri

Nasri has made 215 appearances in the Premier League, playing for Arsenal from 2008 to 2011 before making a move to City for £25m.

There the Frenchman played under Hammers boss Manuel Pellegrini but fell out of favour after the arrival of Pep Guardiola and had a loan spell with Sevilla.

Pellegrini told the West ham United’s website: "I am happy to be working with him again.”

"He has been working very hard in recent weeks to build up his fitness and condition after a long period without playing, and he is now very determined to return to his best."

The former Arsenal midfielder was initially banned for six months for taking an intravenous drip that contravened World Anti-Doping Agency rules.

In 2016, it was alleged that, while on loan to Sevilla, he received 500 millilitres of hydration in the form of sterile water containing micronutrient components, which exceeds the permissible limit.

A request by Sevilla for a retroactive therapeutic use exemption (TUE) for Nasri was refused by Uefa in February 2017. 

Uefa extended the ban in August 2018, from six to 18 months, backdated to 1 July 2017.

The Hammers have the option to extend Nasri's contract by a year.