West Ham captain Mark Noble is confident Dimitri Payet will still be a Hammers player at the end of the January transfer window.
Payet has been heavily linked with a move away from the Premier League club as the Hammers have struggled to replicate the form of last season under Slaven Bilic, with the club 13th and five points above the drop zone.
The France international has not helped the speculation by conceding he may have to leave to fulfil his ambitions, with the likes of Marseille and Arsenal linked with a move.
Noble admits Payet’s exit would be a huge blow for West Ham, but remains confident he will be playing alongside the 29-year-old for at least the remainder of the 2016-17 campaign.
“You never know what happens in football. I’m pretty sure Dimi doesn’t want to come out and say too much,” Noble told Sky Sports News.
“I would be shocked to see him go before the end of January. I’m pretty sure it would have to be a healthy bid to get him away from us.
“Can we afford to lose him? No, not really, because he is one of the best players in the world at the minute.”
Payet – who has a contract at London Stadium until 2021 – has scored three times in 18 appearances in all competitions this season with seven assists, having contributed 15 goals and 17 assists in 2015-16.
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