West Ham United did brilliantly to hold on to Dimitri Payet over the summer but could a change of ownership at his former club see him lured home?
West Ham United’s Dimitri Payet
Since he signed from Marseille last summer for a bargain £10.5 million Payet has been nothing short of a revelation.
His sensational form since arriving in England has made him one of the most talked about stars in the Premier League.
He scored 12 goals last season – including a number of sensational free-kicks which have become his trademark – provided 15 assists and was shortlisted for the prestigious PFA Player of the Year award in his debut season in English football.
That honour eventually went to Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy but Payet still made the PFA team of the season.
Payet celebrates for France
West Ham‘s new hero continued his fine form in the summer with some dazzling displays for France in their run to the Euro 2016 final.
Despite starting the season late and then picking up an injury, Payet has already produced some memorable moments of magic this term too.
His late long range free-kick helped West Ham past Accrington Stanley in the League Cup while his stunning goal of the season contender against Middlesbrough will take some beating as the best scored at the 60,000 seater Olympic Stadium.
The Frenchman was linked with the likes of Real Madrid and Paris Saint Germain over the summer but West Ham managed to hold on to their prize asset.
Frank McCourt and Margarita Louis-Dreyfus
Their resolve could be tested again in January, though, after his former club Marseille – a team close to Payet’s heart – changed hands this week with the new owners pledging to make them ‘champions again’.
Frank McCourt, the former owner of the LA Dodgers baseball team, has bought the Ligue 1 club bringing an end to the tenure of billionaire owner, Margarita Louis-Dreyfus who wanted to sell up following poor results and protests from fans.
McCourt, speaking at a news conference as reported by BBC Sport, said: “I’m very excited about making Marseille a champion again.”
He went on to say he wants a team that can compete “year in, year out” to win Ligue 1.
And what better statement to make than bringing back the former hero, who has since become one of the national side’s most important players.
Payet gesturing Marseille is his home while celebrating for France at the Euros
Payet was reluctant to leave Marseille in the first place but was forced to move to ease the club’s financial woes at the time.
Interestingly when Payet scored at the Stade Velodrome for France in the Euros, he pointed to the ground and gestured to fans that this was his home.
West Ham fans accepted that given he has no boyhood allegiances to the Hammers but it could prove significant should McCourt want to show his intent and ruffle a few feathers at rivals PSG.
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