West Ham forced Dimitri Payet to pay back $825k before allowing him to join Marseille

DIMITRI Payet tried to force West Ham’s hand in order to move to Marseille but before the Hammers santioned the deal, they also made an ultimatum to the Frenchman.

Olympique de Marseille's new forward Dimitri Payet.

FRANCE international Dimitri Payet has said he doesn’t have to justify his behaviour after it emerged he had to pay back $825,000 to West Ham before the club accepted a club-record transfer fee.

Payet rejoined the Ligue 1 side on a four-and-a-half-year deal after Marseille shelled out £25 million ($41.3m) to bring him back to the Stade Velodrome.

But before West Ham reluctantly accepted the deal, they forced Payet to repay £500,000 ($825,000) in wages they had paid him while he refused to play, according to the Daily Mail.

“It’s what I wanted. It was clear from the start,” Payet told a news conference after concluding an acrimonious divorce with West Ham.

“Thanks to all the staff for doing what was needed. I wanted to be part of this project that is just getting started. It came at a time when I missed France.”

The 29-year-old received a warm welcome on his return to his former club, but he refused to apologise for the controversial manner in which he left England.

Olympique Marseille new player Dimitri Payet.

Payet starred for the Premier League side last season, scoring 12 goals and being named to the PFA Team of the Year, but when the transfer window opened earlier this month he refused to play as his priority was a return to France.

“It was drawn out because I started my stand-off with West Ham a long time ago. If (the move) hadn’t gone through I would have lived with it,” said Payet.

“But I didn’t feel very good over there. (West Ham boss) Slaven Bilic had his view, but I don’t have to justify my behaviour.

“I had an amazing year in England. It didn’t finish how we had hoped, but I’ll have very good memories of West Ham supporters.” Payet could make his Marseille debut, for the second time, in Tuesday’s French Cup clash against Lyon in the last 32.

He had signed last February a new five-and-a-half-year contract worth £125,000 a week with the Hammers, but Marseille president Jacques-Henri Eyraud said Payet “had accepted a signification reduction in pay” to re-sign with the nine-time French champions.mw/nr

Originally published as West Ham forced Dimitri Payet to pay back $825k before allowing him to join Marseille