Unappreciated by Marseille but valued in Brazil - Payet signs for Vasco De Gama

As it was officially announced, Dimitri Payet is Vasco da Gama's new footballer. He arrived in Rio de Janeiro as a free agent, and as reported by Globo, he received a contract for two years. Although there are no details on the value of the contract, it is speculated that the Frenchman received a very lucrative offer to continue his career in Brazil. He has already signed a preliminary contract, and next week he should arrive in Rio to undergo medical examinations and join the new club, where a number 10 jersey is waiting for him.

In the Brazilian club, which is coached by the Argentinian expert Ramon Diaz, there are already two well-known faces to football fans from Europe: the long-time Chilean representative and former Sevilla and Inter midfielder Gary Medel, as well as former Shakhtar and Besiktas player Alex Teixeira, who started his career in this Brazilian club, and returned last year. After 18 rounds played in Serie A this season, Vasco is second to last with only 12 points, so it's clear that Payet faces a serious challenge.

The former Marseille captain parted ways with his beloved club after six years in his second term at the Velodrome, for which he scored 78 goals and recorded 95 assists. Between two stays in the oldest French city, he defended the colors of West Ham in the English Premier League, but despite his good performances, he insisted on returning to France, so the Hammers accepted Olympique's offer of 30,000,000 euros and allowed him to return to Marseille in the summer of 2017.

He started his career in the French lower league Excelsior, and then played for Nantes, Saint Etienne and Lille, before starting his first episode at the Velodrome in 2013. He made 38 appearances and scored eight goals for the French national team, and was a regular member of the first team at the European Championship in 2016. This year, he was a finalist in the selection for the Ferenc Puskas Award, which FIFA traditionally awards to the scorer of the best goal in a calendar year.