The prospect of Dimitri Payet playing in a West Ham shirt once more has split West Ham United supporters.
The mere mention of the former fan favourite returning to east London has led to a flurry of discussion in the last 12 hours, following the revelation that the 31-year-old French international had been offered to West Ham once again.And whilst many fans are understandably wary at the prospect of re-signing a player who left West Ham under the darkest of clouds in January 2017, more are excited by the possibility of the club's best player of the last 20 years returning to the fold.
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"He came to our club to do a job and smashed it for a season, giving us some amazing moments," wrote KUMB member HammerAl. "I don't blame him one bit for wanting to leave at the time.
"He was playing with some very poor players in a team in very poor form without a huge amount of time left on his side (career-wise) and there were also questions about his private life.
"We also all know what the board are like and how they like to spin things; Payet wasn't the first, nor will he be the last, to be thrown under the bus. He's the best and most exciting player I've seen play for West Ham in a long time and if there's a chance of him coming back I would welcome him with open arms."
Fellow KUMB member gavind was in agreement - but remains suspicious of the player's motives for considering a return. "Payet loved life at WHUFC, it re-ignited his international career and he was adored by the fans," he wrote.
"WHUFC promised the earth, a team built around him in this shiny new bowl - hence why he stayed. Meanwhile the club didn’t deliver, wouldn’t spend any money and went for bargain bucket signings - and Payet got the hump with this.
"What I don’t see is why on Earth he would even consider working for Sullivan & Gold again unless he feels other draws to WHUFC to him are greater?"
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However not all supporters were keen to see the mercurial Frenchman, who scored 15 goals during his 18-month stay at the club, return. "I do not see why, for 'footballing reasons', Payet would want to come back from Marseille," wrote Gsbgsb.
"The board has not changed, his reasons for leaving have not changed - save for he now knows his international career is over as France will build for 2020/2022 when he will be too old.
"That all suggests one last big pay day - and once he gets that, why should he be any more motivated than in his last few months at West Ham? Payet was brilliant for one season, but I'd rather remember that than another couple of seasons of cameo performances."
For more fans' views on the possible return of Payet, visit the KUMB Forum.
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