Scout Report: Who should West Ham pursue to replace wantaway Payet?

While there was a sense of the inevitable about the news this morning, Slaven Bilic’s revelation that Dimitri Payet no longer wanted to play for West Ham was news that fans of the club would have dreaded. Despite not reaching the same superb standards of his debut campaign in East London, the Frenchman remains the Hammers' most gifted player by a considerable distance and would be a real loss to a side with plenty of problems to solve as it is.

While Bilic reiterated that regardless of the player’s stance, Payet would not be sold, his departure seems all but certain, if not this month then at the end of the season. The dilemma will therefore be how to replace a player like Payet, and the club are sure to be on the lookout for a signing that could come close to his skill set, however unlikely it is that they will be able to trump their coup from 18 months ago.

Here we look at five alternatives to the French international that could, in some way or another, help to cover for his absence.

Ryad Boudebouz (Montpellier)

If West Ham were to look to France once more for a player capable of getting close to Payet’s creativity, they’d need look no further than Boudebouz. An injury that has kept him out of the Algerian squad for the African Cup of Nations may prove a stumbling block for any potential move this month, but the 26-year old is a player that should be on the radar of a lot of clubs given his form since a move to Montpellier.

The playmaker’s tally of 11 assists last season was bettered only by Di Maria (18) and Ibrahimovic (13) in France and one shy of Payet’s in his debut season at West Ham. While Boudebouz has managed just two this season it’s not for want of trying having created the most chances in Ligue 1 (47), while a figure of 7 goals in 16 appearances highlights that his finishing has been far superior to Payet’s in the current campaign.

More willing to help out from a defensive standpoint, averaging over twice as many tackles per game, Boudebouz would be a very astute acquisition. Statistically ‘very strong’ at both crossing and taking set pieces just like Payet - he may just be the best and most affordable option to the Hammers as they aim to fill the huge void that Payet’s departure would leave.

Vincenzo Grifo (Freiburg)

A slightly different option could be to recruit a winger rather than a number 10, with Payet having started nine of his 17 league appearances from the left flank. If Bilic wanted to look for a younger option then a move for Freiburg’s Vincenzo Grifo could be wise.

The 23-year old was key to the German outfit’s promotion last season and has adapted to the Bundesliga well, with 3 goals and 4 assists helping the Italian to a team high rating of 7.26. Grifo has averaged the second most key passes in the Bundesliga this season (2.9), with his ability over a set piece again an attractive proposition to any side that may be losing a player of Payet’s quality in that regard.

He has an eye for the spectacular, having attempted the most shots from outside the box in Germany’s top-flight, though his finishing has left a lot to be desired at times this season. He doesn’t possess the same flair as the Frenchman but is harder working and boasts a better cross accuracy, both in general (36.3%) and from corners (44.8%).

Jonathan Viera (Las Palmas)

It’s fair to say Las Palmas have become something of a neutral’s favourite since their promotion to La Liga, with Viera arguably their most gifted and certainly most creative player. The 27-year old is at the peak of his powers and enjoyed a superb season back in Spain’s top-flight last time out, ending the campaign as both the top scorer (10 goals) and creator (9 assists) for the newcomers.

His figures in that regard have dropped slightly this season, scoring 4 and assisting 3 goals from 14 appearances, but he’s still been at his playmaking best. Only Neymar has created more chances per game in Spain than Viera (3) this season, while the Spaniard relies less on set pieces to help him rack up such impressive figures. Indeed, only Mo Salah and Alexis Sanchez have created more chances from open play than the Las Palmas man (2.4) this season, with Payet’s figure at 1.9 by comparison.

His crossing and set pieces are considerably weaker than the West Ham favourite, but there aren’t too many players on the continent that can match his vision. Indeed, an average of 0.5 accurate through balls per game leads the way in Spain and is more than twice that of Payet’s 0.2.

Gylfi Sigurdsson (Swansea)

One of Paul Clement’s main priorities upon his Swansea appointment may well be to keep Gylfi Sigurdsson at the club but it wouldn’t be a shock to see bids made for the Icelandic international this month. The 27-year old may well be open to a move too considering the Welsh outfit’s struggles this season, and in terms of Premier League set piece specialists there are few, if any, that can match Sigurdsson’s efficiency.

Indeed, as opposed to Viera, the Swansea man relies heavily on his ability over dead ball situations, with just 0.7 of 2.1 key passes per game coming from open play. Sigurdsson isn’t just a superb crosser of the ball from a set piece either, with he and Payet the only two Premier League players to have scored three free-kicks since the start of last season. The two are also equal in terms of efforts on target from dead ball situations in that time, so in terms of quality in that regard it would be a like for like replacement.

Moreover, both have registered 6 assists this season, while Sigurdsson has scored five more goals since the start of the previous campaign (16 to 11). Again, the Swansea man may not possess the same flair or dribbling ability but in terms of targets with Premier League experience he would surely be a prime candidate.

Pizzi (Benfica)

Certainly a long shot given Benfica’s dominance of Liga NOS in recent seasons and consistent Champions League appearances, a bid for a player of Pizzi’s quality would send the sort of statement of intent that Payet’s capture did 18 months ago. West Ham certainly aren’t opposed to attempting to sign players from Europe’s elite, and however unlikely it may be, the lure of the Premier League and a move to London is not inconsiderable.

27-year old Pizzi is enjoying a superb season for Rui Vitoria’s side and is also among the finest set piece takers in Europe. Having played on both flanks and in a variety of roles down the centre of the pitch, his versatility would be a real asset to any side and with 6 goals and 4 assists this season the Portuguese playmaker is currently the highest rated player in Liga NOS (7.57).

A cross accuracy of 38.1% from 7.1 attempts per game is an improvement on Payet, while a total of 51 key passes is at least 14 more than any other player in Portugal’s top tier. His dribbling may not be a match to the West Ham man but his creativity is certainly not in question.