Chelsea have seen their odds on signing West Ham United playmaker Dimitri Payet shorten as the Frenchman could leave the London Stadium this month.
As seen in the tweet below, Hammers boss Slaven Bilic confirmed in his press conference on Friday that the 29-year-old no longer wants to play for the club, but he will not be sold.
SB: “We have said we don’t want to sell our best players but @dimpayet17 does not want to play for us. We are not going to sell him.
— West Ham United (@WestHamUtd) January 12, 2017
In turn, there are likely to be a few tense weeks ahead for West Ham until the January transfer window closes, and they may well have to be braced for bids for their most prized asset.
The bookmakers have reacted though, and it seems as though Chelsea are slowly emerging as the most likely destination in England as their odds have shortened to 10/1, as per Oddschecker.
That would seem to make most sense as the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal have countless options in that area of their respective squads and don’t need to strengthen.
Nevertheless, they are still firmly in the running according to the odds, with the Gunners a distant 8/1 with their rivals in at 5/1.
Outside of England, Payet’s former club Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain remain in the conversation, but it’s debatable as to whether the former can match his ambitions and if the latter still need another attacking player having already signed Julian Draxler this month.
All in all, it does seem as though Chelsea would be the best bet if Payet leaves West Ham, with Antonio Conte possibly looking for quality to add to the likes of Eden Hazard, Pedro and Willian on the flanks.
Time will tell if that happens, but it’s certainly worth taking into consideration the shift in betting patterns while China will always now be an option for the top players if they are seeking lucrative contracts.