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Real Madrid may crush West Ham’s future

By Rucker Haringey

BLACKBURN, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 21: Dimitri Payetof West Ham United celebrates after scoring his team's second goal from a free kick during The Emirates FA Cup fifth round match between Blackburn Rovers and West Ham United at Ewood park on February 21, 2016 in Blackburn, England. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)
BLACKBURN, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 21: Dimitri Payetof West Ham United celebrates after scoring his team's second goal from a free kick during The Emirates FA Cup fifth round match between Blackburn Rovers and West Ham United at Ewood park on February 21, 2016 in Blackburn, England. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images) /
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Real Madrid are reportedly preparing a bid for West Ham star Dimitri Payet

Real Madrid may be poised to deal a cruel blow to West Ham’s dreams for Champions League football in the next couple of years. Reports from France claim that Los Blancos are considering a strong bid for Dimitri Payet as a replacement for James Rodriguez.

France Football suggests that the La Liga giants may be prepared to cut ties with James and Jese this summer. If that happens, Zinedine Zidane’s squad will certainly look to add some attacking midfield options in the summer transfer window. Payet would almost certainly be on their short list of options.

After all, the Frenchman has been an absolute wizard for the Hammers this season. It’s not an exaggeration to say that he might be the most influential single player for any team in the Premier League. When he’s on the pitch Slaven Bilic’s club can be devastating in attack even without a world-class centre-forward. In contrast, when he misses out, the Hammers look much more like a club that should be thrilled to be sniffing the top half of the Premier League.

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The revenue from the new Premier League television contract is supposed to help English teams hold on to their top talent, but Payet’s future isn’t going to come down to the transfer fee. He’s got a reputation as a difficult personality and if he makes up his mind he wants to head to Real Madrid, then West Ham will be powerless to stop him.

The good news for West Ham is that they can command a King’s ransom for Payet in the transfer market. If Real gets rid of James and Jese they should be armed with a big transfer budget to replace them. Neither the transfer fee or Payet’s potential wages would be an obstacle to a deal.

It’s possible that West Ham could take that sum of money and turn it into a few players that could make up for Payet’s void, but history tells us that it’s hard to replace a world-class superstar. Just ask Liverpool or Tottenham fans who had to endure the sales of Luis Suarez and Gareth Bale in recent years. Both club tried valiantly to spend big on replacements, but were unable to cope with the loss of their talismans in the short-term.

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West Ham fans should hope that James has a blinder in the Champions League final and convinces Zidane and company that he’s primed for a big season. If he does end up exiting La Liga, it could buy Payet a one-way ticket to Madrid.

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