West Ham United broke the chain of having questionable transfer windows this summer, as David Moyes spent expertly to bolster his side with quality reinforcements.
The Hammers obtained a hefty £105m profit from the sale of captain Declan Rice, who joined Arsenal in July after months of speculation over his future in east London.
There was concern who could replace the club’s 2022/23 Player of the Season, particularly with the amount received for his services, however the Irons relieved the anxiety of fans in admirable fashion by recruiting well.
Four deals of considerable expense were made following Rice’s departure, with Konstantinos Mavropanos, James Ward-Prowse, Edson Alvarez and Mohammed Kudus arriving to the delight of those associated with West Ham.
West Ham summer arrivals
Player
Club
Fee
Mohammed Kudus
Ajax
£38m
Edson Alvarez
Ajax
£35.4m
Sean Moore
Cliftonville
Undisc
James Ward-Prowse
Southampton
£30m
Konstantinos Mavropanos
Stuttgart
£19m
All figures via Sky Sports
Starting the season with a draw followed by three consecutive wins has the Hammers in 2nd place, with their new acquisitions beginning to show their worth at the London Stadium.
Last summer’s capture of Lucas Paqueta has significantly strengthened the quality of the side, in a way that proves just how much things can improve by a single addition, an instance the Irons are very familiar with.
Signed back in 2015, one name sticks out as leading the way in terms of transfer success stories in east London, with little introduction needed for the influence of Dimitri Payet.
How much did West Ham sign Dimitri Payet for?
When Slaven Bilic signed Payet for £10.7m from Marseille, not many would have been able to predict just how influential the Frenchman would become for the club.
West Ham have had some quality players over the years, from Paulo Di Canio to Billy Bonds, with the claret and blues having seen a plethora of top talent grace the pitch in their history.
Payet certainly falls as one of them, with the majestic maestro transforming the morale and calibre of football on show in east London in such a short space of time.
In the 2014/15 campaign, the year prior to his arrival, West Ham finished 12th under Sam Allardyce with 47 points, in what marked their third successive season in the top flight after their promotion from the Championship in 2012.
The fortunes at the club changed thanks to Payet’s arrival, however, as the Frenchman brought a glimmer of sparkle to the squad, showcasing a new player for opposition in the Premier League to fear.
How many goals did Dimitri Payet score for West Ham?
In a total of 60 appearances for West Ham, the attacking midfielder contributed to 38 goals, scoring 15 and assisting 23 in what was a thrilling time to be associated with the Irons.
The Frenchman added a new level of class and quality to the club’s squad, producing truly magical moments for Bilic’s side and providing Premier League memories that will pass the test of time.
In 30 league appearances in his debut campaign, the midfielder scored nine and assisted 12, taking England by storm and being branded as providing “insane” numbers by journalist Alan Rzepa.
It wasn’t just his goal contributions that made Payet’s influence on West Ham so memorable, but the calibre of attacking sequences that his presence alone installed into the football that Bilic’s team could produce.
The Hammers finished in 7th place in his first season, registering 62 points and scoring 65 goals, a vast improvement on the numbers in the campaign prior, in which 44 goals were scored.
Lauded as being “one of the most important players in Europe” at the time by French footballing legend Zinedine Zidane, the praise tells of just how highly the attacker was regarded in world football during his time in claret.
Impeccable vision, a set piece specialist and a master of trickery, the Frenchman was adored during his short time at the club, however it all seemed to go wrong so quickly.
What happened to Dimitri Payet?
After just 18 months as an Iron, Payet bid farewell to the club in a fast fall from grace following his marvellous antics in his debut season.
Speaking to the media, as relayed by The Athletic, Bilic said that the Frenchman “does not want to play for us, he wants to leave,” the words that were at that point inevitable after the attacker went on strike to force a move.
The former Ligue 1 gem had simply fallen out of love with playing in England, with speculation being that his family had failed to settle in London, and wanted to return to France.
That is the harsh reality of football, when players are admired to the point of not considering that they too could be human.
From scoring, assisting and being adored, the Frenchman removed himself from the picture, refusing to train or feature for the club until a move was settled, making for an ugly departure after such a beautiful time.
Marseille promptly snapped up their former star after 18 months, paying the Hammers a fee of £25m, a fair price and a profit for the Irons who had memories to last a lifetime from the short period that he represented the club.
He went on to score 63 more goals for Marseille, before being released by the club aged 36 this summer.
Where is Dimitri Payet now?
A lavish career in Europe spanning over 668 domestic appearances ended in the summer, as the Frenchman painfully parted ways with Marseille, displaying a tearful goodbye from the club upon his exit.
It was an unexpected farewell, with the player believed to have had a year remaining on his contract, however the French outfit called time on his days representing the side.
At 36, it was questioned whether Payet would call it quits on his career, however after making seven goal contributions in Ligue 1 in 2022/23, the attacker’s playing days aren't over just yet.
It was announced that his next venture would be outside of Europe, and to Brazil, where the 5 foot 9 sensation signed for Vasco da Gama, in the Brazilian Serie A.
With one appearance so far for the Rio de Janeiro side, the Frenchman may now be far from England, however will always be remembered fondly in east London, despite his dramatic exit.
All in all, West Ham semingly had the last laugh and were arguably the winners of the deal, signing the difference maker for just £10.7m and selling him for £25m after a hostile ordeal, in a move that will forever be remembered at the club.