Will Diafra Sakho benefit most from West Ham’s Payet signing?

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The West Ham striker has been clinical at Upton Park despite relatively little service.

Dimitri Payet’s signing earlier this week has left West Ham United fans on cloud nine. Rarely has a recruit generated so much talk, excitement and hope that the Hammers can genuinely challenge those way above them in the Premier League table.

And it isn’t just the supporters that will be delighted by the Frenchman’s arrival.

Indeed, a certain Diafra Sakho might be pumping his fist in triumph at the knowledge a creative force like Payet will be supplying him next season.

As Opta stats show, Sakho enjoyed a fairly clinical debut campaign at Upton Park last term, producing the ninth-highest goals-per-game-ratio of any striker in the Premier League.

Interestingly, however, West Ham created 370 chances in the top flight as a team, which was once again the ninth-highest tally in the division.

That suggests Sakho was doing his best on relatively little service; should the east London side create more chances for their strikers, logic dictates forwards as talented as the Senegalese will likely score more goals.

And it just so happens that Payet is one of the most creative players in European football – statistically speaking at the very least. It’s well documented that few registered more league assists than the 28-year-old last term, with Payet accumulating 17 in Ligue 1, according to Whoscored.com.

Ligue 1 to the Premier League is a massive step up – but, if Payet can provide similar service for Sakho, West Ham may see even more of the striker than they did in his first season at the club.