According to a recent report from The Daily Mirror, West Ham are interested in signing free agent Samir Nasri. The 31-year-old has been without a club since the start of the year after leaving Turkish side Antalyaspor, but has just completed an 18-month drugs ban and as such is ready to return to first team action.

And reports suggest that Manuel Pellegrini’s Hammers are keen on the ex-Arsenal and Manchester City star, and while the club are suffering from something of an injury crisis, there is no long-term gain from the club’s potential move for the £5.4 million-rated ace (as per Transfermarkt).

The Breakdown

Ultimately, the East London outfit are very short on options in the midfield and attacking ranks at present, with the likes of Manuel Lanzini, Carlos Sanches, Jack Wilshere, and Andriy Yarmolenko all on the sidelines.

Thus, the Hammers are certainly injury-stricken and ideally need someone to come in straight away and make a telling difference, so it’s not overly surprising to see the club linked with Nasri, especially given he has proven ability in the Premier League during respective stints at Arsenal and City.

And while there could be short-term gain from the midfielder’s addition, which itself is questionable given he hasn’t played football for almost a year now and may take time to reach his best form, there is no long-term gain as, when everyone is back fit and firing, the Frenchman is unlikely to be in the first team.

Ultimately, the Hammers spent big money during the summer on the likes of Yarmolenko and Felipe Anderson in a bid to make the step up the Premier League table, while the likes of Wilshere and Sanches also joined the East London outfit in a bid to strengthen the midfield department, which was weakened following Cheikhou Kouyate’s departure to Crystal Palace.

As such, Pellegrini’s squad is arguably much stronger now than it has been in some time, and while Nasri’s arrival may have benefits in the immediate term, it’s a signing that isn’t going to benefit the club in the long-term.

Add in the fact that there is no guaranteeing that the 31-year-old will hit the ground running straight away, given he hasn’t played football for the best part of a year and not in the Premier League since leaving City back in 2017, and it’s a move fraught with risk, but ultimately very little reward.

So while it’s no surprise to see the Hammers linked with Nasri, there is absolutely no long-term gain from a possible deal for the Frenchman - in fact, it’s questionable whether there’s any short-term gain as well.

West Ham fans… what do you think? Let us know!