West Ham manager Slaven Bilic has today said in his pre-match press conference that star man Dimitri Payet no longer wants to play for the club.

The French international had a sensational debut season in the Premier League last time out, scoring nine goals and laying on 12 assists to help the Hammers to a seventh place finish in the top-flight, their best since they won promotion from the Championship back in 2012.

Payet then performed brilliantly for France at the European Championships last summer, netting three times to help Didier Deschamps’ side reach the final, and interest was rife in the 29-year-old, with Spanish giants Real Madrid reportedly keeping an eye on the attacker.

However, Payet himself committed his future to West Ham, yet a disappointing Premier League campaign thus far, which has seen Bilic’s men win just six of their 20 matches and Payet score just twice, appears to have changed his mind.

With Marseille, who sold the Frenchman to West Ham back in 2015 for £10.7 million, reportedly keeping tabs on Payet’s developing situation, a January move could take place despite Bilic clearly stating that the West Ham man will not be going anywhere.

After a frustrating six months at the London Stadium, here are THREE reasons why Payet wants to quit West Ham…

West Ham just aren’t as good as last season

It just hasn’t worked for Bilic and West Ham this season, who are a shadow of the side that finished seventh last time out and indeed pushed for a top four spot for most of the campaign.

They appear to taken longer to adapt to the London Stadium than many expected, given their abject displays at their new home, while their season thus far has been a combination of a bluntness going forward, and indeed a vulnerability in defence.

The Hammers lost six of their opening seven league games to sit in the bottom three and, although they won three games on the trot over the festive period, the performances are still not great, and certainly nowhere near the level of last season.

Payet would have hoped that West Ham would have at least replicated their top half finish again this season, or possibly pushed on, but it doesn’t look like happening – last season appears to be a one-off.

Good enough to play at higher level

It’s clear from his first season in England, and his subsequent efforts for France at Euro 2016, that Payet is good enough to play for a Champions League team.

The 29-year-old scored nine goals and laid on 12 assists in helping the Hammers to a seventh place finish in the Premier League last season, which was form that earned him a place in the PFA Team of the Year, and indeed the West Ham Player of the Year award.

His 12 goals in all competitions meant he was the club’s highest scorer last season, and it was clear from his consistently impressive displays that he was good enough for a top European club – Real Madrid wouldn’t have been linked with him if he wasn’t.

Three goals for France at the European Championships last summer underpinned his ability and, given West Ham’s struggles so far this season, it’s hardly a surprise that he wants to move elsewhere.

He knows, or certainly feels, that he’s better than the 13th place side in the Premier League.

His own form hasn’t been great

West Ham have struggled to score goals and keep them out at times this season, and Payet himself is not immune from criticism.

The French international has scored just twice in the league for the Hammers this season, the latest of which coming in their 2-2 draw with Liverpool on December 11, and he has at times been accused of a lack of effort and commitment by some West Ham fans.

Nonetheless, he is still their best player (he’s got more assists than anyone else and is consistently one of their highest rated performers), but he hasn’t hit the heights of last season thus far, and maybe he feels that he needs a new start somewhere else to get back to those levels.