Regardless of how many times West Ham say Dimitri Payet isn’t for sale, the rumours linking him with a return to Marseille in France refuse to go away.
The attacking midfielder, who spent two years in the south of France making a real name for himself in the process, has refused to dismiss a potential transfer back to his old club in recent interviews, and now news is coming out of France that it’s actually a bit more than that.
Payet’s importance to West Ham means the London club are unlikely to let him go in January unless an offer that cannot be refused is made, but if the player starts pushing for a move away, things could change very quickly.
On Monday, France 2 journalist Fabien Lévêque tweeted a series of updates on the Marseille transfer situation, including one on Payet.
Priorité à un latéral gauche. Concernant Payet, dossier compliqué mais le joueur veut revenir à l’OM. Nombreuses discussions avec R.Garcia
— Fabien Lévêque (@FabLeveque) 8 January 2017
He said that although there is a general feeling the deal is a difficult one to pull off, Payet wants to return to Marseille, hinting at possible disillusionment with what is currently going on at West Ham this season.
Qualifying for the Europa League via fair play at the end of the last campaign, the Hammers are currently 13th in the Premier League after 20 games, seven points above the relegation zone.
Marseille, on the other hand, have impressed over the past month or so, winning five games of their last six games, and currently sit sixth in Ligue 1.
Now managed by Rudi Garcia, the French side are starting to show they might be a force to reckon over the next year or so, and Payet seems to want to be a part of that at a club he loves dearly.
Their priority for this transfer window, however, remains finding someone at left-back.
