West Ham have issued to a response to a report in a Sunday newspaper claiming that the Club were raided last week due to a £1million bonus payment to Dimitri Payet.
According to the Mail on Sunday, last week's raid on the Olympic Stadium was due in part to the seven-figure loyalty payment made to Payet last September - just FOUR months before he re-signed for Marseille.Meanwhile the 2011 transfer of Demba Ba from West Ham United to Newcastle United is also being investigated by HMRC, who are reported to be looking into the circumstances involving around 150 transfer deals.
West Ham responded to the story by insisting that all aspects of the Payet transfer - including any bonus payments - were clearly documented and above board.
"Dimitri Payet had a £1million annual loyalty payment, which was detailed in his contract submitted to the Premier League and The FA," read a statement on whufc.com.
"Payment was made via his normal monthly pay and subject to 45 per cent income tax and National Insurance, which was deducted at source and was paid to his UK bank account along with his normal monthly wages.
"There is nothing to probe about this payment."
The club also denied involvement in the practise of paying a percentage of players' salaries via indirect methods - particularly with regards to image rights.
"In contrast to many Premier League clubs, not a single West Ham United player has any part of his salary paid as image rights," the statement added.
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