Payday for Payet as the prodigal returns to Marseilles

Published on 30/01/2017 - 20:40

Dimitri Payet is a Marseilles player. The former West Ham lynchpin has returned to France's south coast for 30 million euros.

A visibly more relaxed Dimitri Payet has said hello to his new club Olympique Marseilles, the French international cementing his 30 million euro move from West Ham back to the club where he made his name.

On rentre à la maison pic.twitter.com/AcwO3FChYt
— Dimitri Payet (@dimpayet17) 29 janvier 2017

From L’Isle de Reunion, Payet claimed he wanted out from London for personal, family reasons, and broke a 125,000 pound a week five and half year contract to do it, against West Ham’s wishes.

“I wanted to come back here. I wanted to be part of this new project. I have heard a lot of confidence and serious intention from the OM managers. It so happened that in my life I missed the Ligue 1 and France. I thought this move that would fit my wishes well,” he said to French reporters in the Mediterranean city.

He could play as early as Wednesday. Back in London an angry West Ham is offering money off new shirts if fans want to bring in their Payets in exchange, such is the ill-will the club’s former star player, who effectively went on strike to force the move, leaves behind him.