Marseille strikes £25M deal for West Ham's Payet

Dimitri Payet almost has his wish.

As the January transfer window nears its Tuesday deadline, an offer of £25 million from Marseille has been accepted by West Ham United, ending a saga which began when Payet expressed a desire to leave east London earlier this month.

He's on his way for a medical on the French Riviera.

The 29-year-old, a late bloomer who starred for France at Euro 2016, was promptly banished to training with the Hammers youth teams and reportedly ostracised from social matters with the senior side when he requested a move. He was believed to already have his family in Marseille looking for schools for his children ahead of an expected shift to the club he departed for West Ham only 18 months ago.

The £25-million fee marks a significant increase from the £10.7 million West Ham paid Marseille for him that summer but, immediately following his exploits at the European Championship in his homeland, he could have demanded a much larger price. Seven months ago, club co-owner David Sullivan slapped a £100 million tag on his head, before Payet pledged his future to West Ham shortly thereafter.

Assurances to Payet of West Ham signing a top quality striker were never met, however - Simone Zaza, Jonathan Calleri, and Ashley Fletcher simply don't fit the description - and the set-piece maestro, who lays on more key passes per 90 minutes than anyone in the Premier League, cut a frustrated figure.

It seems it hasn't taken him long to engineer an exit, with Tuesday's visit from Lyon in the Coupe de France appearing to be an ideal second introduction for the terrace idol.