Saturday 14 January 2017 13:23, UK
West Ham co-chairman David Gold has described Dimitri Payet’s refusal to play for the club as “hugely disappointing”.
In a statement on the Hammers website, Gold said he wants the France international to honour the five-year contract he signed in February 2016 and abandon his desire to push through a move to Ligue 1 club Marseille.
Slaven Bilic confirmed on Thursday that the France international is not involved in first-team training and would not be selected for the weekend game against Crystal Palace.
On Friday, Payet’s agent was scheduled to have talks with co-chairman David Sullivan to confirm his intention to move back to his native France.
“I am saddened by the recent revelations that Dimitri Payet wants to leave West Ham United,” Gold’s statement said.
“We have met all of his requirements since he joined and we committed long-term to him when we gave him a new five-year contract back in February 2016, so this is hugely disappointing.
“We have made it clear that he is not for sale and we want to see some loyalty from him, after Slaven, the players and all the fans have given him so much support.
“We gave Dimitri the opportunity to play in the best league in the world when he wasn't in the France team and a platform that has helped him become one of the best players in Europe.
“Slaven gave him the confidence to excel in the Premier League and he got back into the France team due to his impressive form at West Ham United.
“He signed a long-term contract last year and we want him to honour that.”
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