West Ham chairman David Sullivan insists Dimitri Payet will not be sold in January window

Sullivan used his programme notes to reiterate the club's stance on selling their biggest star

Dimitri Payet wants to leave West Ham with Chelsea also reported to be interested in a move (Getty)

West Ham chairman David Sullivan has insisted that he will not sell Dimitri Payet during the January transfer window, despite the player's desire to leave and rejoin former club Marseille.

France star Payet this week rocked the Hammers by telling them he wants to quit the club and has refused to play against Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon.

The 29-year-old, who signed a bumper £125,000-a-week five-year contract last February, is agitating for a move after Marseille's new billionaire owner, Frank McCourt, made him a priority in the Ligue 1 side's recruitment drive.

But Sullivan is digging his heels in as they look to take a stance against player power - or merely drive up the price.

Writing in his programme notes ahead of the Palace match, he said: "The board's position is that we do not want to sell Dimitri, we do not need to sell Dimitri for financial or any other reasons, and we will NOT sell Dimitri in the January transfer window.

"All we ask now is that he shows the same level of commitment to West Ham United as the club and the fans have shown to him by honouring his contract."

West Ham's fans are understandably angry at Payet's actions, so much so that a steward was placed in front of a mural of the midfielder outside the London Stadium to prevent it being vandalised.