Ayew: Plenty more to come from Payet
Dimitri Payet stunned the Premier League with an emphatic debut season last year, but new West Ham signing Andre Ayew insists the Frenchman’s influence was years in the making.
The 26-year-old featured alongside Payet for three seasons in Marseille, and while they were unable to lead the French side to a Ligue 1 title, it was a midfield partnership which propelled the status of the duo to Premier League deals ahead of last season.
And now the Hammers’ new £20.5m club-record signing is hopeful of rekindling old relationships at London Stadium but, despite free-kick success with Swansea, Ayew admits the fight for set-pieces is a battle he won’t win.
“We played for about three years together and built a great relationship. I am happy to be in the same squad with him again and he is a great player,” said Ayew.
“I think he can do even more. We worked together for a long time and I know his style of play.
“There will be no competition. It is part of Dimitri’s game and he will get us goals from set-pieces.”
Andre Ayew scoring at Stamford Bridge last season. (Picture: Ian Kington/Getty)
Unsurprisingly, Ayew is determined to get his campaign off to a fruitful start, beginning with Monday night’s trip to Chelsea – with Stamford Bridge a happy hunting ground for the 26-year-old after scoring their last season, coincidentally also on debut.
But aside from looking solely at Monday’s trip across the capital, Ayew feels his switch to the Hammers is a long-term project, largely based on the influence of his new manager Slaven Bilic.
“We want to start the season really well, but we know it is going to be a difficult game. We are playing away from home but it is not impossible for us to get a good result,” he added.
“I am really happy to be at West Ham. I had a discussion with the manager and he made me understand why he wanted me. I spoke to a few players already here who had great things to say about the manager.
“This club has a lot of ambition and I want to be a part of that. I had a good time at Swansea and coming to West Ham is a great step forward for me.”
