A few weeks ago this would have been the last thing any West Ham fan wanted to consider. But now it seems almost a relief. Where will Payet be in February?
Unless you’ve been under a rock, you must be aware of the Payet saga. It’s not too often that a player signs a 5 year contract and then spends the next year demanding more money due to various circumstances, before crying that he was going to refuse to play anymore for West Ham as he wants to leave.
And it’s safe to say that a move like this hasn’t endeared him to the fans. And that’s not just West Ham fans. All over the footballing world the ordinary supporters are furious at the way the game has been treated. It is one thing to want to move on, but completely another to refuse to play.
West Ham
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At the moment the official line is still “We are not selling Dimitri Payet”. All this says to me is that the board are yet to receive an offer that they are happy with. Not that the board are rejecting all offers out of hand.
I can understand the board saying that the club do not want to sell their best players, but if the payer will bring in a likely record fee and is refusing to play, they would be stupid not to. But because we can continue to fine the player for refusing to play, the club are in no rush. The five year contract is playing to West Ham’s advantage.
Payet is desperate to force a move out of the club, but it’s not certain. Betting companies currently have the Hammers as the second most likely holders of Payet come Feb 3rd. It’ll be interesting to see how this all develops going forward.