In unquestionably the biggest story in the Premier League today, manager Slaven Bilic has unexpectedly revealed that talismanic attacker Dimitri Payet wants to leave West Ham.

The French maestro was a revelation for the Hammers last season, arriving from Marseille for an £11m fee and going on to earn a PFA Player of the Year nomination for a potent return of nine goals and twelve assists.

That, coupled with some spectacular goals for France at Euro 2016, has seen Payet's stock rise exponentially over the past 18 months. Now considered to be the top talent outside of Europe's elite, it appears the 29-year-old's 'head has been turned', to use the old cliche.

Of course, the news leaves West Ham in an incredibly tricky situation; Payet's absence severely reduces the attacking quality of their starting XI, but Bilic only has a matter of weeks to find a solution before the January transfer window closes. Likewise, the Hammers need a replacement who can hit the ground running - suggesting he'll probably need to be already plying his trade in the Premier League.

But the Irons certainly aren't strapped for cash and selling Payet would further increase Bilic's transfer budget. So with that in mind, we take a look at FOUR Premier League replacements West Ham should consider.

Gylfi Sigurdsson

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Gylfi Sigurdsson is arguably the Premier League's most talented No.10 outside of the top six, producing a consistent supply of goals throughout his spells with Swansea and Tottenham Hotspur to notch up an overall return of 45 strikes in 182 appearances.

The Iceland international is famed for his searing strikes from long-range, potent dead ball deliveries and impeccable technique, which, coupled with his talismanic status in the Swansea starting XI since Wilfried Bony's 2015 move to Manchester City, makes him very much a kindred spirit to Payet.

Aged 27 and well proven in the English top flight, the timing is certainly right to make a move for Sigurdsson and tie him down for his best years. It seems inevitable the attacking midfielder will leave before the start of 2017/18 - but would Swansea sell halfway through a relegation battle?

Memphis Depay

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Memphis Depay has suffered a spectacular fall from grace since being hailed as one of the most exciting youngsters in world football upon his Manchester United arrival in summer 2015, quickly falling out of favour under Louis van Gaal and now finding himself further marginalised by Jose Mourinho - managing just four substitute outings so far this season in the league.

But there's clearly an incredible talent in there somewhere - one that fired PSV Eindhoven to their first title in nearly a decade at the age of 21 and hugely impressed at the World Cup a year previous - and a move away from Old Trafford could quickly see the Oranje ace revive his stuttering career.

Manchester United appear more ready to sell than the other clubs mentioned in this article, but after twelve months in the wilderness, is he sharp enough to immediately fill Payet's void?

Matt Phillips

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Another player in fine form, Matt Phillips is finally delivering on the immense potential once heralded of him as a youngster in the Football League. Indeed, the 25-year-old has been pivotal in West Brom's rise from midtable to Europa League reckoning, notching up four goals and eight assists in the top fight.

The Scotland international bagged a stellar 40-yard strike for QPR towards the end of the 2014/15 campaign, further underlining his natural ability, and now appears to have found the confidence to bring out those moments of magic more regularly - whilst still adhering to Tony Pulis' industrious demands off the ball.

West Ham are certainly a higher profile club than West Brom, but could the current five-place difference in league standings put Phillips off a move to east London?

Robert Snodgrass

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West Ham are believed to have already tabled offers for Hull City's Robert Snodgrass and although the Scotland international is by no means a world-beater, a run of fantastic form suggests he'd hit the ground running in east London.

The attacking midfielder has kept survival hopes alive almost single-handed at the KCOM Stadium this term, notching up seven of the Tigers' 17 league goals and providing assists for two more. At 29, he's no spring chicken; but stocky, somewhat ambipedal and hardly reliant on pace, a move to a more central role could extend Snodgrass' career at the top level by a few more years.

Currently, however, there's clearly a significant difference in valuations - West Ham's latest bid was worth just £5million.