Marseille have failed to reach an agreement with West Ham over a deal for wantaway midfielder Dimitri Payet following talks on Monday, according to sources.
Sources understand West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan has rejected an improved second bid worth around ₤ 20m from the Ligue 1 side and is refusing to be bullied into a quick sale, with no financial need to sell the 29-year-old.
Marseille’s president Jacques-Henri Eyraud held high-level discussions with West Ham officials in London in a bid to secure a deal for Payet, who played at Marseille for two seasons before joining the Hammers in the summer of 2015.
Payet, who has turned down numerous offers from clubs in England and China, wants to leave West Ham and return to Marseille due to family reasons. Sources understand Payet will also take a 30 per cent pay cut if a move to Marseille does go through.
West Ham will not consider an offer of less than ₤ 30m for Payet, having turned down a ₤ 19.1 m bid for the France international from Marseille last week.
Sources understand Marseille are considering making a third bid for Payet, but are concerned that the longer negotiations drag on, the more likely it is that other clubs will try to sign the former Lille and Saint Etienne man.
Sky Sports News HQ reporter Kaveh Solhekol said: “I have just been speaking to someone who was involved in those talks. The first thing to make clear is that Dimitri Payet has nothing against West Ham, he has nothing against the club’s fans, he has nothing against the other players in the squad or the manager Slaven Bilic.
Dimitri Payet is not being greedy. My understanding is that if he goes to Marseille he will be taking a 30 per cent pay cut, he will be being paid less than ₤ 100,000-a-week.
” The reason he wants to move back to France is simply that his wife and three young children have not settled in England, they are struggling to adapt to life in London. He has also turned down massive offers to go to China and he has also turned down expressions of interest from other clubs in England. He just wants to go home because his family has not settled here.
” He knows the fans are finding it difficult to understand why he wants to return to France, but he hopes they can find it in their hearts to understand that he wants to go back for family reasons.”
Payet informed Bilic of his desire to leave the club last week and was not included in the matchday squad for Saturday’s 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace.
He is not training with the first-team squad and will continue to work with the under-23s.
Sky sources understand West Ham would prefer Payet apologised to the club and supporters and return to first-team training.
Payet has been a stand-out performer for West Ham since arriving for ₤ 10.75 m, scoring 15 goals in 60 appearances, and was rewarded with a new five-and-a-half year deal in February.
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