Zaba wants this Hammers signing very badly

Sami Nasri looks set for a Manuel Pellegrini reunion and his former team-mate Pablo Zabaleta would be delighted to see him on board.

The pair played in the boss’ team at Manchester City and Zaba unhesitatingly believes he’s be a fine signing for the club.

Speaking to Sky Sports Zaba said: “Manuel knows Samir very well from his time at Manchester City. We need players with his quality, especially because also we lost two key players who brought quality into this team – Manuel Lanzini in the summer before the World Cup and then [Jack] Wilshere, who is very close to coming back to the team.

“We know Samir and his quality. When he is fit he is on a different level. He is a fantastic player.

“Hopefully he can reach his best fitness level. He has to feel physically good because we know that the Premier League is so demanding physically.”

ClaretandHugh says: The most significant words for us in there are “he probably needs to focus more on his fitness levels than his passing” – a back up to the old adage that ‘class is permanent.’ Our understanding is that Pellegrini has made his mind up about his former City star and that the trial period is more or less a sop to those inside the club who don’t perhaps know the player as well as his former City manager. Those who have seen Nasri down the years can’t argue anything other than at his best or even 75 per cent of it given fitness and age, he is better than many at what he does. You don’t play for City if you’re not. We also have great regard for Zaba’s view as this is a player who knows exactly what’s what and doesn’t bother giving a view unless he has something honest to say – good or bad. We may not be sure that this is the way to go but if two such as Pellegrini and the Argentine veteran can talk the midfielder up in such terms, then it may be worth a punt and it needs to be remembered that the £80k a week media claim has become downgraded to around £40k plus appearances.