West Ham swoop for Nasri following end of doping ban

Samir Nasri has reunited with his former Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini, joining West Ham United on New Year's Eve following "a successful period training at Rush Green."

The French midfielder signed an initial contract until the end of the 2018-19 season, with an option to extend his terms in the English capital.

Nasri, 31, is available to play again after serving a 12-month ban for receiving an intravenous drip treatment which contravened World Anti-Doping Agency regulations.

He allegedly received "500 milliliters of hydration in the form of sterile water containing micronutrient components" while on loan to Sevilla in 2016, according to BBC Sport.

When he was handed the ban, Nasri left Turkish outfit Antalyaspor on Jan. 31, 2018 and was without a club until he inked terms with the Irons.

"You choose a club and a project because of the ambition, and I think that West Ham has everything to be one of the biggest clubs in London, for sure. I mean, 60,000 people every game at home. We play in the Olympic Stadium. The training ground is there and you have owners who wants to invest and have a good team. Everything is there to be doing great things," Nasri said.

"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."

Through his spells with Arsenal and Manchester City, Nasri netted 36 times in 215 appearances, winning over 60 percent of his games. He didn't collect any silverware during his stay in north London, but nabbed two Premier League titles and scored in a League Cup final triumph in 2014 with City.

Nasri's arrival eases an injury crisis at West Ham - Andriy Yarmolenko, Manuel Lanzini, Jack Wilshere, Javier Hernandez, and Robert Snodgrass are all attack-minded players nursing serious injuries or knocks in east London - and offers some inventiveness and versatility in Pellegrini's system.