On Friday, the English media were adamant that Marseille had decided to stop trying to sign Dimitri Payet from West Ham, while their French colleagues were clear that wasn’t the case.
Fast forward to Monday, and the same has exactly happened, with Sky Sports reporting the chase is now definitely over, while RMC were sure a fourth bid for the West Ham forward was on the way.
Asked about what he thought of his France teammate’s decision to effectively strike until he got the move he wanted, the Spurs goalkeeper refused to get completely involved in the matter, but fully expected answers when the time was right from the West Ham star.
The Tottenham captain said: “From the outside, it’s always difficult to form an opinion. They’re Dimitri’s problems, his coach’s and his club’s. Unfortunately, the media has taken over. It’s become a pretty complicated business for everyone to handle. Dimitri will certainly give his reasons and express his views in the future.”
When Marseille were taken over, the prospect of bringing back Payet from West Ham was seen as far too ambitious, yet with the media pushing for it to happen, and seemingly all of it going to the player’s head, a deal might actually be on the cards.
Yet, as the Tottenham goalkeeper rightly points out, this has been a media story turned into something real after weeks of pushing it on a regular basis.
And when that happens, it’s hard for anyone to back down.
Marseille certainly have the money to get a transfer done, considering their owner announced he wanted to invest €200m into the club, but should they really spend €30m on a soon-to-be 30-year-old when upgrading their defence is a priority?
Probably not.
