Samir Nasri could reportedly return to the Premier League, with Manuel Pellegrini considering a reunion at West Ham United
The prospect of Samir Nasri moving to West Ham United has really divided opinion.
The Standard reported on Monday that the 31-year-old Frenchman was due to undergo a medical with the London Stadium club, as he looks to get his career back on track after a doping ban. It was claimed that the Hammers would pay Nasri a hefty £80,000 a week, a salary that had put off other interested parties.
But it seems a deal is hanging in the balance right now. The Guardian reports that Nasri, who has not played since leaving Antalyaspor in January, faces a battle to prove his fitness, with West Ham concerned about paying so much money for a player who has been out of the game for 10 months.
Speaking on Alan Brazil’s Sports Breakfast on talkSPORT (13 November, 9:00am), former Hammers defender and assistant coach Stuart Pearce has given his view on the situation, suggesting the presence of Nasri’s former Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini in the dugout could be a major factor.
“The manager has worked with him before so he knows him as a person. He obviously sees him as a player who can help the squad with obviously no transfer fee,” Pearce said.
“It might be to the end of the season and see how he gets on. If you’ve worked with him before it takes some of the sting out cause you’ve worked with the person.”
Nasri has a reputation for being something of a difficult character, but he enjoyed one of the finest spells of his career under Pellegrini, winning the Premier League title with Manchester City in the 2013/14 season.
So the veteran Chilean could be the perfect man to help Nasri embark on a rejuvenation late in his playing days.
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