London, Nov 13: Former Manchester City and Arsenal star Samir Nasri could make a surprise return to the Premier League as reports have emerged that the Frenchman is to undergo a medical at West Ham following the end of his doping ban.

The 31-year-old has been out of football since last year after he was handed an 18-month ban backdated from 1 July 2017 by UEFA, following an intravenous drip treatment he received at a Los Angeles clinic in 2016.

Nasri reportedly received 500 milliliters of hydration via sterile water containing micronutrient components. A private medical company called Drip Doctors provided the treatment in Nasri's hotel room while he was in Sevilla in 2016. However, the World Anti-Doping Agency rule only allows a 50-milliliter infusion limit per six-hour period for active athletes. It led Nasri to a ban which he received while he was playing in Turkey for Antalyaspor.

Since November 2017, the attacking midfielder has been out of football but with the ban coming to an end in December, the player is eligible to play from January 1st and as per reports, West Ham have come forward to give the French international another chance to revive his career.

As per reports, Nasri will sign a short-term six-month-contract with the London club as a free agent, pending a green signal from the medical team and only if he impresses the club with his display, they will think about handing him a better deal in the future.

The said move is reportedly only being carried under the sole direction of Manuel Pellegrini, who worked with Nasri during his tenure with Manchester City. The attacker certainly had the best days of his career for the Sky Blues.



Nasri will apparently fill the void left by Ukrainian midfielder Andriy Yarmolenko who has been declared out for the rest of the season with an Achilles injury.

With vast experience of Premier League football, Nasri's inclusion could add some creative spark to West Ham's midfield. However, given the amount of time the player has had without playing professional football, it now remains to be seen how his fitness level fares in the long run.