Premier League: West Ham extend Dimitri Payet contract

West Ham midfielder Dimitri Payet has put pen to paper on a new five-and-a-half year contract with the club. The French midfielder, aged 28, joined West Ham from Marseille last summer for 10 million pounds. He has quickly become the leader of the team, bagging six goals in 22 appearances for West Ham. Payet already had a five-year contract with West Ham, but the new deal has probably improved his wages and will last until the summer of 2021. The club have denied that the player had requested an improved contract in order to remain at West Ham. Manager Slaven Bilic said: "We must do everything we can to keep our best players - and he is our best player." Club co-owner David Sullivan described Payet as the "signing of the season". "He's the best player I've signed in 25 years," said Sullivan. "He's a £30m player. He's a supreme footballer. He makes every player in our side play better. On his day, he's world class, he's unstoppable." West Ham are currently sixth in the Premier League table and they are 33/1 at Bet365 to finish inside the top four this season.