West Ham are struggling to come to terms with Marseille over the sale of Dimitri Payet. But the Hammers would be wise to just take the latest offer and get Payet out before the transfer window closes.
West Ham should make Dimitri Payet ”sit and rot” if they don’t get everything that they want from Marseille, according to former Hammer Rio Ferdinand. That is probably a view supported by most fans in an era where players take too many liberties, far too often.
However, this is not the view the club should be taking of the Payet situation. The Frenchman asked to leave the Londoners a few weeks ago in order to return to France. Marseille seem like the only potential suitors that interest Payet to this point.
Marseille, of course, will try to use that to their advantage in order to attain a cheaper deal. But unfortunately for West Ham, that’s the position the club are in. Taking a stern view of what Marseille are offering isn’t going to help the club move forward from this saga.
Which is what West Ham need to do – move on. Prolonging this into the summer benefits nobody. Not the club or anybody else. The idea that leaving a player to rot in the reserves will serve as some kind of lesson is absurd.
West Ham taking the morale high ground in this instance and shelving Payet for the rest of the season – or even more – achieves what exactly? One club taking this approach is not about to deter other players form doing the same thing.
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It would be nice for West Ham to be the saviours of the game and start shelving players and all, but the Hammers board have a club to run. A future to map out. Dimitri Payet is not a part of that future now. So why hang on?
For a few million more? Payet is worth £30 million on talent. Whilst Marseille insist they are only willing to pay £25 million for his services. West Ham should take that offer and get on with ensuring Premier League survival this season and then planning for the summer.
Payet signed a new contract worth a reported £125,000-a-week last year. So if Payet stays beyond January, then the club are going to pay him a few million to sit in the stands anyway. So how much is that £5 million extra really worth?
Plus Payet will be 30 in March. His value isn’t going up any time soon. What are the club waiting for? Maybe the West Ham board get their £30 million in the end, but you can’t be sure Marseille can really go to that number. Whilst a loan would also solve little long-term.
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On the pitch, since Payet has been out of the picture, West Ham’s form has picked up immeasurably. The forward leaving offers nothing but benefits all the way around at this point. Meanwhile, any stay offers nothing but distractions and more uncertainty.
If West Ham really want to move on from Payet, then the Frenchman needs to leave the club permanently. And West Ham are foolish if that doesn’t happen this month.