Olympique de Marseille winger Dimitri Payet is willing to turn down Swansea City in favour of staying at the Stade Vélodrome.
According to reports, the Swans had agreed an €8 million fee for the France international but the player has decided to reject the move.
Payet went on to add that he, if the opportunity presented itself, would have joined a ‘bigger club’ abroad.
“With all due respect to Swansea, I want to stay at OM,” Payet said.
“I said no to my agent right after the first contact. I told the president from the start that I want to stay. Despite that, the press still says that I’m hesitating.
“If a bigger club had shown interest in me, I would be gone by now. But I had an average season and you should do more to be coveted.
“In football, you can never say never, but I feel like I’ll stay at Marseille, 100 per cent.”
Payet, who joined Marseille from Lille OSC last summer, did not particularly catch the eye during his debut campaign in 2013/14 and has since been linked with an exit from the club.
Payet added: “I’m being pushed out of the club, but I can understand that. There is an economic reality behind that.
“My first season was average. I’ve expected better from myself and I guess it’s also their case.”
Rodallega wants River Plate switch
Fulham F.C. striker Hugo Rodallega is hoping to complete a move to Argentine Primera División champions River Plate before the close of the transfer window.
Rodallega, 29, has one year remaining on his current deal at Craven Cottage but is expected to be sold following the club’s relegation from England’s top-flight.
A move to South America has been mooted, with the player keen on joining River Plate.
“I am going to help for my transfer to River to be done. I think that the negotiation is not going to be easy, but I would love to have the chance of playing at River,” he told TyC Sports.
“I would like a change in my career and River is a very important team that is playing in many competitions this year and the next.
“So it is interesting for what all that could mean for my career.
“I have been in English football for five years so I see that a transfer could be something important for the owners and me.”
In other news, Iran and Fulham midfielder Ashkan Dejagah — voted the Cottagers’ Player of the Season by the club’s supporters last term — is on the verge of completing a £5 million transfer to Qatari side Al-Arabi.
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