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Dimitri Payet’s Marseille homecoming is just the beginning

By Marcel Dumas

MARSEILLE, FRANCE - JANUARY 30: New Olympique de Marseille player Dimitri Payet answers journalists' questions during a press conference at the Robert Louis Dreyfus stadium on January 30, 2017 in Marseille, France. The French international has signed a four and a half year contract with the French Ligue 1 club. (Photo by Clement Mahoudeau/IP3/Getty Images)
MARSEILLE, FRANCE - JANUARY 30: New Olympique de Marseille player Dimitri Payet answers journalists' questions during a press conference at the Robert Louis Dreyfus stadium on January 30, 2017 in Marseille, France. The French international has signed a four and a half year contract with the French Ligue 1 club. (Photo by Clement Mahoudeau/IP3/Getty Images) /
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There will be no middle ground for Payet as he moves on to the next chapter of his career. He has stated he wanted to go home and be a part of the project in Marseille.

Dimitri Payet has gotten his wish, he is returning home. With an agreement between Marseille and West Ham finally reached, the most talked about story of the January transfer window has come to a close. For Payet, the return to Marseille I just a beginning.

The amount of scrutiny given to Payet, and the amount of public talk by all parties made this a very contentious break up. With the Euro 2016 hero holding out for a return to Marseille, West Ham was left with few choices. His reluctance to join any other club limited any leverage the Hammers may have had.

The French star claimed to be homesick, and had his heart set on returning to the south coast of France. Rumors of his family’s unhappiness with living in England were without a doubt major contributors to this situation. Any married man knows that an unhappy wife can make life a very difficult road.

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Even with the transfer saga squarely behind him, Payet will find himself tin a tug of war between different factions. The legions of L’OM supporters are embracing him with open arms. He was a popular player prior to his move to West Ham, and his Euro performance on home soil made him a legendary figure in France. The expectation is he will be an integral part in helping Marseille scale the summit of Ligue 1 and return to their place among France’s elite clubs.

Anything short of this or even a drop in his form could quickly deteriorate the view Marseille fans have for Payet. It would also add more fuel to the fire on the other side of the coin.

The other side is the West Ham (and a good deal of English) fans who feel betrayed by Payet. Most of them want nothing more than to see Dimitri struggle and fail at Marseille. If he does help the rebuild project in Marseille, many on the other side of the channel will chalk it up to playing in an inferior league.

Next: McCourt awakening sleeping giant Marseille

There will be no middle ground for Payet as he moves on to the next chapter of his career. He has stated he wanted to go home and be a part of the project in Marseille. Dimitri Payet has the ability to help Marseille reach their goals. With his family’s needs addressed, he can now focus on his new club and their goals. For Payet, this is not the end but a new beginning.

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