Chelsea face competition from rivals for Premier League playmaker

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Manchester City have reportedly joined the race to sign West Ham United star Dimitri Payet, with Paris Saint-Germain also said to be keen.

The French international is still fresh from playing a starring role in his side’s win over Romania in the Euro 2016 opening game last Friday night.

It comes after a stellar first year in the Premier League with the Hammers, with Slaven Bilic no doubt desperate to keep hold of him for the foreseeable future.

However, it appears as though they will have a tough task on their hands, with the 29-year-old attracting attention from some European powerhouses, including Man City and Chelsea, according to Don Balon.

West Ham are said to be willing to offer him a new £125,000-per-week contract in order to fend off interest from their Premier League rivals, but it remains to be seen whether it’s enough to convince Payet to stay with them ahead of their switch to the Olympic Park next season.

PSG are said to have been tracking him for months, but whether or not a return to France after such a successful start to life in the English top flight appeals to him is unclear.

In turn, a move to either City or Chelsea as part of Pep Guardiola’s or Antonio Conte’s respective ambitious plans for their new clubs could be more appealing to Payet if he indeed wants a change of scenery this summer.

West Ham will of course be hopeful that he stays loyal and continues to shine under Bilic, but they will be fully aware and prepared for offers given their playmaker’s form over the last 12 months as it is only natural that the top clubs would make enquiries.

Nevertheless, nothing is expected to happen for the next few weeks, with Payet solely focused on continuing to guide France in Euro 2016 with their next game taking place against Albania in Marseille on Wednesday night.

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