West Ham United co-owner David Gold has admitted that star player Dimitri Payet could leave the club this summer should Real Madrid or Barcelona come calling.
The 29-year-old is reportedly wanted by an array of European football's top clubs following an impressive season with the Hammers and a string of fine Euro 2016 showings for France.
Gold claims that West Ham have no intention of cashing in on Payet and will do all that they can to keep him at Upton Park, but they could face a real battle to do so should one of the Spanish heavyweights make an official bid.
"We'll fight tooth and nail to make sure Dimitri pulls on a claret and blue shirt next season," he told The Sun. "We want to improve our squad and Dimitri is an integral part of what we're trying to do. But we also must be realistic.
"If Barcelona or Real Madrid made a bid and he wanted to move there, it would be difficult to keep him. You can't have a great player like Dimitri and expect no one to make a bid, especially with the performances he's producing at the Euros. But the phone has not rung yet - although we know there's a chance it will once the tournament is over. We're not silly.
"Yet, let me be very clear, we would not welcome a call. The club certainly doesn't need to sell him so this is not a case of 'We've bought him for £10m and can now make a tidy profit'."
Payet, rated at around £45m by United, found the net nine times and assisted a further 12 goals for teammates in his debut Premier League campaign.
Daniel Lewis
