The following article is a special report; all information, unless otherwise stated, has been gleaned from Football FanCast sources.

West Ham United would like to sign Dimitri Payet on loan from Marseille but there has been no contact between the two clubs, sources have told Football FanCast.

The club were linked with a possible move to re-sign the attacking midfielder in the January transfer window by L’Equipe.

Sources familiar with the club’s recruitment have told FFC, however, that there has been no dialogue with the French club over a possible reunion with a player who departed in 2017 in acrimonious circumstances.

Did he really play for us?! No West Ham fan has managed to name all of these obscure Irons signings....

He forced a move away from the club after handing in a transfer request and while there has been no movement to the end of signing Payet, there is an interest in bringing him back to the club.

Payet has been in decent form for Marseille this season, scoring eight goals and providing four assists in 19 appearances in all competitions.

Sources have said that were a loan deal to be a possibility, the Hammers would attempt to do it, but it appears unlikely at this stage that there will be a deal done before the transfer deadline.

The Hammers are struggling currently and sit 17th in the Premier League table, level on points with both AFC Bournemouth and Watford but with a game in hand.

There is a worry at the club that relegation is a real possibility and, as such, options are being explored in the January window to strengthen the squad.

A 4-1 defeat to Leicester City on Wednesday evening has sharpened the focus on the need to invest.

However, there is unlikely to be a permanent transfer; the Irons simply do not have the money at this stage of the season to fund such a move.

Loans are all that are likely, then, but Payet is something of a stretch; were the opportunity to arise, however, they would certainly look to take advantage of it.

The 32-year-old currently has a contract that runs until 2021 and he remains a key member of the Marseille squad, making 19 appearances in all competitions and scoring eight goals.

Meanwhile, one man was a liability as West Ham lost to Leicester.