West Ham boss Slaven Bilic has shed some light on Payet’s situation at the London Stadium.
The Croatian tactician has confirmed Payet is keen on a move away from West Ham, but he has vowed not to sell the France international.
Speculation
Payet, 29, created speculation last year after he refused to “close the door to anything (a transfer)” as he was linked with a move to French giants PSG.
West Ham has since made spirited attempts to clear the air and fix what turned out to be a precarious situation, but following Bilic’s recent comments about Payet’s intentions, it’s clear the Frenchman’s lack of enthusiasm over the last few weeks is the product of a desire to leave the club.
Want him to stay
Payet still has four years left to run on his current deal, and West Ham have shown no signs of wanting to let him leave the club.
In Bilic’s press conference, he said: “We have said we don’t want to sell our best players, but Dimitri Payet does not want to play for us. We are not going to sell him.”
“It started ten days ago when the window started. I spoke to the club. I spoke to the Chairmen. It’s not a money issue. We gave him a new contract.”
He further added, “I don’t think he will go this window, but it will be hard to keep him happy.”
Needed
The Hammers are currently 13th on the table and have endured a difficult move to the London Stadium following their Europa League exit and dismal league form.
Payet leaving could see the situation at the club go from bad to worse; thus, it’s understandable why Bilic has opted to keep hold of Payet.
Written by Phillip Ekuwem
Follow Phillip on Twitter @DE_cooldude
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