West Ham United had a sensational last year under Slaven Bilic, where they finished 7th on the table. Their pace and creative talent up front proved to be major threat against the perennial big clubs. One of the main reasons behind West Ham’s success last campaign was the performance of Dimitri Payet. The French sensation has been one of the stars of Euro 2016 so far with his match-winning performances. But his stunning displays might have the Hammers worried ahead of the summer transfer window, as now all the top sides are fully aware of his quality and set-piece prowess.
In an astonishing first season in the Premier League, Payet wowed the supporters across the country with his running, his skills, his goals and of course his trade mark free-kicks. Generally we see foreign players struggling to adapt to the pace and physicality of the English league but the Frenchman has been outstanding since day one.
Payet finished as West Ham’s top scorer last season with 12 in all competitions and was the club’s joint league top scorer with Andy Carroll on nine, registering 12 assists. It is due to his stats that one can confidently say he was the signing of the season, after all he came for just £11m from Marseille. There are rumours linking him to a move from the Olympic Stadium, with clubs like Barcelona and Real Madrid interested in acquiring his services. But here are some reason why Payet should not leave West Ham right now.
Ambition
There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that West Ham are ambitious. They were quietly acquired the rights to play in the Olympic Stadium and will be moving there this summer. They have hugely talented squad, filled with match winners. In Bilic they have a coach who is dedicated to the club and is very tactically sound. The Hammers will be looking to buy some new players this summer, in order to achieve success in Europe and mount a push towards the Champions League places. Payet is the creative hub of the team, without him, they lack the x-factor. Therefore he has a chance to cement his place in the hearts of Hammer fans for years to come by leading them to some silver next season.
Fans
Like we mentioned above, through his superb performances last season, fans have started to adore the Frenchman. They have got a new hero they can look upto just like Bobby Moores and Paolo Di Canios. He still has a lot of years left him, therefore if he can keep performing like he did brilliantly last season, he can become another famous son of the club. At this stage of his career, there is nothing more that means to him than the love of the fans, combined with a big wage of course.
Real Madrid
The fact that he has been linked heavily with Real Madrid, just goes to show the amount of attention he is attracting at the moment. However he should be careful before moving to the Spanish capital, as there is a danger of succumbing to the pressure that comes while playing for the most successful club in the world. At Madrid, he won’t be the main man, rather he will be part of the supporting cast with Bale and Ronaldo hogging all the limelight. Payet will be better of sticking with the Hammers this year for now.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXgBa4cf5rY]
Source: Soccer Souls