West Ham close to signing free agent Patrice Evra, Everton also interested

West Ham United are hoping to complete the signing of former Manchester United defender Patrice Evra before their weekend game against Watford.

The 36-year-old left-back is currently a free agent after being released by Ligue 1 club Marseille following his altercation with a fan prior to their Europa League game against Vitoria.

Evra was sent off prior to Marseille's loss after he had a scuffle with a supporter. He was subsequently banned from European club competition until June 2018 by Uefa. The French defender was also fined £8,000 ($11,170).

The French club was stunned by the reaction of their skipper and it brought back memories of Eric Cantona's 'kung-fu' kick during his time with United. He was released by Marseille and is currently without a club.

Despite being banned by Uefa, Evra is eligible to play in the Premier League and David Moyes is keen to bring him to the Olympic Stadium for the second-half of the campaign. According to Sky Sports, West Ham are expected to complete the signing on Wednesday (7 February) with the manager keen to have him available for their game against the Hornets on Saturday (10 February).

Moyes worked with Evra during his ill-fated spell as the Red Devils' boss and is keen to reunite with the experienced defender, who has won four Premier League titles and one Champions League during his stint in Manchester.

Everton are also said to be interested in signing the free agent left-back, but Sky Sports states that Evra prefers a move to London rather than moving up north to Merseyside. The midfielder has not played competitive football since the beginning of November, but has been training on his own to maintain his fitness levels.

West Ham, meanwhile, have confirmed that Pedro Obiang has undergone successful surgery to repair the tear he suffered to his medial collateral ligament. The midfielder is not expected to return until the start of pre-season.

Obiang suffered the injury during the Hammers' FA Cup game against Wigan Athletic. He travelled to Barcelona to undergo the procedure and is expected to begin rehabilitation shortly.

"Pedro has undergone surgery to repair the medial collateral ligament, and we're delighted with how it went," a statement read on the club's official site.

"He went to a specialist in Barcelona for the operation and he is in the best possible hands as the rehab process gets underway.

"Pedro is likely to be out for a little while, but we are confident that he will return fit and strong in ample time for pre-season," the statement added.