A year-and-a-half after he left the London Stadium under a stroppy cloud, West Ham have reportedly been offered first dibs on re-signing Dimitri Payet from Marseille.
The Ligue 1 club are keen to sell Payet this summer and, after rifling through his big book of gullible owners, the player’s agent apparently decided to give the Hammers a nudge.
As per Guardian journalist Jacob Steinberg, new West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini hasn’t instantly dismissed the idea out of hand and is instead seeking advice from some of the players who played alongside Payet during his two-year stint in London.
West Ham have been offered the chance to sign Dimitri Payet from Marseille. No, it’s not 2015. Player’s reps have contacted club. Manuel Pellegrini mulling it over and has sought advice from senior players #whufc
— Jacob Steinberg (@JacobSteinberg) July 6, 2018
It’s come as a surprise partly because of the manner of his departure and also because Payet is thought to be happy in France. Would be a stunning story if it happens #whufc
— Jacob Steinberg (@JacobSteinberg) July 6, 2018
According to other sources, despite the ignominious manner in which he departed in January 2017, Payet wouldn’t be averse to returning to West Ham as the personal issues he had with staff at the club have now been resolved. In short, Slaven Bilic is no longer manager.
While potentially tempting, surely the Pellegrini would be best advised to leave well alone here?
That said, if there’s any club daft enough to spend money re-signing a player they went through months of palaver to flog, it’s you-know-who.