French midfielder Dimitri Payet has handed West Ham a huge boost ahead of their 2016-17 campaign by vowing to stay with the Hammers this summer.
The in-form playmaker has reportedly confirmed his stay in London with West Ham for this summer, ending speculation of a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid. The 29-year-old recently featured for the French in Euro 2016 and suffered a heartbreak in the finals in a 1-0 extra-time defeat to champions Portugal. The midfielder talked to The Sun on his way back to the UK about his future prospects.
“I’ve heard about all the interest and I’m flattered. But I love West Ham. We had a fantastic season and I can’t wait to play in the Olympic Stadium.”
Payet also had a message for the West Ham fans who would be delighted with the Frenchman’s decision.
“I’m 100 per cent staying at West Ham, I love the club. I can tell the Hammers fans that.”
The report also said that the statement by Payet adds weight to the words of West Ham’s co-owner David Gold who had earlier exclaimed that the Londoners are not a selling club anymore.
“We’re no longer a selling club, we’re a spending club and investing in our future,” he said to the Sun.
The Londoners’ co-owner also went on to state the importance of Payet in the Hammers’ squad, and highlighted the fact that they were not likely to sell the Frenchman easily.
“We want to improve our squad and Dimitri is an integral part of what we’re trying to do. We’ll fight tooth and nail to make sure Dimitri pulls on a claret and blue shirt next season.”
Dimitri Payet made waves in his debut season in the Barclays Premier League amassing 9 goals and 12 assists in his 30 appearances for West Ham. The stellar effort by the Frenchman saw the Londoners finish 7th in the league, just 4 points behind fourth-placed Manchester City. His good performances in England saw him earn a place in Didier Deschamps’ French national squad for the Euros.
The fairytale didn’t end there as Payet was instrumental for Les Bleus in the competition, notching up 3 goals and 2 assists. He also ended up being the highest rated French player in the tournament with an average rating of 7.91 (via WhoScored).
Real Madrid’s pursuit of the Frenchman had already received a blow earlier, when his agent said that the 29-year-old would most likely ply his trade with West Ham in the upcoming 2016/17 season this summer. Los Blancos are known for getting who they want, but this time things may not work out as planned. West Ham look determined to keep hold of the midfielder and with Payet all but confirming his stay at London, Real Madrid might just have to end their hopes of signing the former Marseille man.
