Dimitri Payet reveals why he turned down Manchester United transfer

Dimitri Payet, a former West Ham United offensive midfielder, has stated that he turned down the chance to join Manchester United in January 2017 in order to return to Marseille.

The Frenchman, who delivered a sensational Goal of the Season contender in Marseille’s 2-1 Europa Conference League triumph against PAOK Salonika last Thursday, left West Ham in a tumultuous manner. Despite not being injured, he refused to play for the club at the start of January, and was determined to force his way out.

The Hammers made it plain that they had no intention of selling Payet and that he should apologize to the fans to put the subject to rest. The now-35-year-old, on the other hand, had no desire to stay at the club, and a £25 million proposal from Marseille was approved only two days before the transfer market closed.

Marseille re-signed him less than two years after selling him to West Ham for a cost in excess of £10 million. However, the Frenchman has since confessed that there was a lot of interest in his signature at the time, with United being one of the clubs interested.

Payet said on RMC Sport’s Le Vestiaire, “I’m not someone who lives with regrets.” “I made a decision to return to Marseille, which had nothing to do with football and everything to do with family.

“Other clubs, huge clubs, existed. Manchester United and others were among them.

“It was a decision made on a personal and family level. It was, in my opinion, the finest option for myself and my family.”

Payet, who turned 35 this month, made 60 appearances for West Ham, scoring 15 goals and providing 23 assists in the process. He scored once against United, with a famous free-kick in an FA Cup fixture at Old Trafford in March 2016. He also had four assists versus United.