Report: West Ham rejects £19.1-million bid from Marseille for Payet

West Ham has reportedly rejected a £19.1-million (€22-million) bid from Marseille for the services of midfielder Dimitri Payet, according to Sky Sports. The news comes shortly after manager Slaven Bilic revealed the wantaway French star "does not want to play" for West Ham any longer.

Marseille's new owner, Frank McCourt, is looking to provide his new head coach Rudi Garcia with reinforcements and has promised to make funds available in the January window to do so as the club seeks a Champions League spot, reports Sky Sports.

For Payet, a move to Marseille would mark a return to his former club - he joined the Hammers in 2015 out of the French side for a reported fee of £10.7 million. He went on to enjoy an incredible debut season at Upton Park, turning heads after notching 12 goals and 12 assists.

Just one season later, West Ham has endured a touch more hardship in the vast expanses of London Stadium, with the team sitting 13th in the Premier League table. Payet has recorded six assists and two goals this season, but Bilic says the Frenchman is looking to the exit door.

"We have said we don't want to sell our best players, but Dimitri Payet does not want to play for us," he told reporters during a press conference.

But Bilic added: "We are not going to sell him."

Payet would need to compete with wingers Clinton N'Jie or Florian Thauvin for a spot out wide in Marseille's 4-3-3 formation, but Garcia could also utilize Payet as an attacking midfielder, with Lassana Diarra and William Vainqueur in support. It would leave 19-year-old Maxime Lopez as a second-string option.

Of course, that tinkering would only come to fruition if the two sides agree on a presumably higher transfer fee.