West Ham fans may need a Dimitri Payet injury
West Ham need to hope that Dimitri Payet doesn’t prove to be the best player in Euro 2016
West Ham fans may need to hope for Dimitri Payet to roll an ankle or get the flu this summer to knock him out of Euro 2016. If he continues to star for France as he did in their opening match win over Romania he may become the most coveted midfielder in the world on this summer’s transfer market.
Payet’s gorgeous game winner for his French side only confirmed what Premier League fans have seen from the talented midfielder all summer. He is one of the most deadly attackers in the world when he has the ball at his feet. He has the skill and talent to make an impact for any club in the world.
That’s a bitter-sweet realization for West Ham fans. On the plus side, they’re able to revel in the fact that they have one of the best attacking midfielders in the entire world at their club, but he’s also garnering serious attention from some of the world’s superpowers as a result.
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- Portugal’s Pepe confirms his availability in Euro final
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As a Tottenham fans, it’s beginning to feel a bit like the end of Gareth Bale’s tenure at White Hart Lane. All Spurs fans were able to delight in the beauty of his game during his last season, but we all did so while acknowledging that his departure in the summer was almost inevitable.
Payet may be even more of a flight risk than Bale was at that time. While the Welshman was just entering the prime of his career, Payet’s age means that he is likely very near the top of his form at the moment. If he’s going to move to one of the world’s biggest clubs, he likely needs to do it as soon as he can to maximize his chances of success.
Even as an unabashed Spurs fan, there’s part of me that hopes Payet stays with West Ham for several more seasons. I believe the Premier League is better when the majority of its clubs are able to hold on to their best players. Seismic departures like Tottenham suffered with Bale, or Liverpool endured when Luis Suarez left, just aren’t good for the league on the whole.
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West Ham fans will be watching France play in Euro 2016 with very conflicting feelings this summer. On one hand they’re conditioned to back Dimitri Payet, but on the other they don’t want his departure to become a foregone conclusion as a result of his terrific play. You can’t blame the Hammer fan base if they want to see Payet miss the rest of the competition with a slight knock.