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News
Dimitri Payet breaks silence after surprise January West Ham link
Marseille star Dimitri Payet has spoken of his surprise having been linked with a move back to West Ham United in January.
the playmaker was on David Moyes’ list of potential targets for the winter window, but an offer never arrived from the London club.
Payet spent one-and-a-half seasons as a Hammer and lit up the Premier League with his flair and trickery.
At the end of his debut season he was voted into the PFA Team of the Year, and was undoubtedly one of the most entertaining players to watch in the division.
Things turned sour the following season though when, midway through, he refused to play for the club according to then-manager Slaven Bilic () in order to seal a return back to France.
He eventually got his wish, completing a move back to Marseille for a reported £25 million () but many fans were enraged, which is what made the speculation about a potential return particularly unexpected.
Payet has now commented on the links, saying (): “I read it, just like you. Everyone knows my attachment to the club [OM], so it’s not really an issue.
“I think it’s rather clear in my head. Everyone knows why I came back. The goal is to get Marseille back in the Champions League.”
TBR’s view – Payet would have been a risk
Had West Ham actually brought Payet back to the club last month, then it arguably would have been a big risk.
He likely would have come in on massive wages, and the move would have been popular with everyone given the way he left the club.
Although statistically he’s been doing fairly well in Ligue 1 this season (nine goals, five assists in 24 appearances so far), Payet is going to turn 33 next month, and whether he’d have been able to bring a similar level to what he showed the first time round is anyone’s guess.