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The Payet conundrum: Should West Ham stick or twist?

When news broke earlier today that West Ham’s French international midfielder Dimitri Payet has refused to play for the club, many Irons fans will have been left wondering when their season of discontent would end.

Payet has, for much of his career in East London, been a joy to behold. With 12 goals in his maiden Premier League season, as well as 5 this term in a struggling side, the playmaker has certainly shone as the jewel in the club’s claret and blue crown.

Joining West Ham from Marseille for £10.7m in June 2015, the 29 year old couldreturn to his former club after reports suggested the French side hope to resign the man they parted with only 18 months ago.

Hammers manager Slaven Bilic is adamant the club won’t be forced into selling their star but West Ham are now in a situation which doesn’t look close to a resolution anytime soon.

The business outlook

In business terms, Payet is an ageing asset. At 29 the Frenchman’s career is certainly far closer to its end than its beginning.

Should West Ham be looking to sell the player at 30 or over, the club won’t be able to command a fee anywhere near as high as it would currently be able to. Very rarely do European clubs pay top fees for players in their thirties.

On top of this, Payet is the club’s outstanding earner, taking home a reported £125k a week. A club the size of West Ham simply can’t afford to spurn half a million pounds a month on a player who isn’t kicking a ball for them.

Plus, Payet is eligible to play in the Champions League and with players notoriously more difficult to sign in January than in the Summer, the lower supply of available talent forces market prices up. If West Ham want to ensure they get big money they should sell sooner rather than later.

From a business point of view, it makes sense for West Ham to sell. However, if there is still hope in changing Payet’s mind he could be a valuable asset in assuring West Ham maintain their status as a Premier League club. A feat worth as much as £60m alone.

So far reports have suggested that Marseille are willing to pay as much as £19m for Payet. If West Ham could command a fee closer to £30m, use the funds to sign a replacement and get an unhappy, unplaying high earner off their books, it may well be the best thing for the club.

What do you think? Should West Ham look to retain Payet? Should the club sell as soon as possible to have the funds to buy a replacement? Is ’player power’ an unstoppable force in the modern game?

Let us know int he comments section below.