Patrice Evra Completes Free Transfer to West Ham After Marseille Release

Former Manchester United defender Patrice Evra joined West Ham United on a free transfer until the end of the season on Wednesday.  

The Irons confirmed the free agent's arrival via their official Twitter account:

Evra was released by Marseille in November after he kicked a fan prior to the club's UEFA Europa League clash with Vitoria Guimaraes. The Frenchman is banned from participating in European competition for the remainder of the campaign but can feature in domestic matches.

The 36-year-old spent eight years at Manchester United, with whom he made 273 Premier League appearances and won five league titles, and he played under Hammers manager David Moyes during his final season at Old Trafford.

He then spent a further two-and-a-half years at Juventus, picking up two Serie A titles along the way, prior to joining Marseille in January 2017.

TalkSport's Andy Goldstein and Football.London's Sam Inkersole expressed concern at the left-back's age:

Playing him alongside 33-year-old Pablo Zabaleta would seem unwise, and as Inkersole noted, Evra's capture also flies in the face of comments made by West Ham co-owner David Sullivan in December:

Another concern should be the veteran's fitness. He has not played since October and hadn't played a great deal for Marseille before being released, having appeared in just nine of a possible 20 matches.

Evra has evidently taken steps to keep fit during his absence from the game:

Nevertheless, given his age it's likely it will take time for him to be sharp and match fit once again.

The defender was an excellent player in his heyday, but how much he still has to give on the pitch is unclear at this point.

That said, as a short-term free transfer it's a relatively low-risk deal for West Ham. If his experience and presence in the dressing room can have a positive influence on their fight for survival and they stay up, it will have been a worthwhile acquisition.