Manchester City's £55m signing Kevin De Bruyne has revealed that he has known of West Ham United playmaker Dmitri Payet's quality for some time.
The 24-year-old, who moved to City last month, became aware of Payet's attacking capabilities through Belgium teammate Michy Batshuayi, who played with the Frenchman at Marseille.
"I saw bits of their game against Newcastle on Monday because we were in the team hotel and from what I saw, they played pretty well on the night," De Bruyne told City's official website.
"I know of Payet because one of my Belgium teammates, Michy Batshuayi, played alongside him at Marseille for one season and he told me a lot about him. I know Payet had a lot of assists last year and that he's a really good player so he will be a threat, especially in his current form."
De Bruyne will be looking to make his first start for the club when the Citizens take on Payet and West Ham at the Etihad on Saturday.
Colm Hayes
