Dimitri Payet drama will end as West Ham agree to sell the star to Marseille
Dimitri Payet is on his way to Marseille, ending a contentious several months at West Ham. The Premier League club confirmed that they have agreed to sell Payet to Marseille, the team the Hammers bought Payet from in 2015.
There were rumors of Payet leaving West Ham in the summer and they continued through the fall. By the time the January transfer window opened, near-daily reports indicated that Payet wanted to leave the Hammers and eventually he told the club just that. The situation came to a head on January 13, when Payet refused to play for West Ham in their match against Crystal Palace, angering fans.
Ever since Payet refused to play, he has been training with the U-23 team. All the while, West Ham insisted that they would not sell him. It didn't matter that Marseille were interested, the Hammers appeared to be willing to take a hardline stance on their star who led them to a seventh place finish a year ago.
Now, West Ham have decided it's better to let Payet go than keep an unhappy player who is refusing to play. They did so at a considerable profit too, raking in £25 million for a player they paid £10 million for not even two years ago.
Whether West Ham decide to reinvest the money from Payet immediately and, if so, how they choose to do remains unclear. Their history suggests they will, but they've played well of late even without Payet so it doesn't appear as if they are desperate for any signings.
Meanwhile, Marseille get a bonafide star and one they could really use. The team is fifth in Ligue 1, four points back of a Europa League place and 12 behind a Champions League spot. That's a steep uphill climb, but, at the least, Marseille fans may feel relief that new owner Frank McCourt -- whose ownership of the Los Angeles Dodgers was heavily criticized -- is showing that he is willing to invest in the club.
