Dimitri Payet claims he was forced to leave Marseille for West Ham

West Ham midfielder Dimitri Payet says he was forced to leave Marseille.

The France international moved to Upton Park in the summer and has been a revelation, scoring four goals in his first eight league games.

The deal to bring the 28-year-old to West Ham was reportedly over £10m and the Frenchman has now revealed it came about by Marseille pushing him out due to worries over Financial Fair Play.

"At the end, yes," Payet told L'Equipe when asked if he was forced to leave.

"The president said that I was not going to be leaving. I was part of a list of players that Marcelo [Bielsa] wanted to keep.

"But as the meeting with the DNCG (National Directorate of Management Control) got closer, the more I felt that I was going to be asked to leave. As the other transfers, like that of Imbula and Thauvin, were lagging."