Transfer news, rumors: West Ham sells Payet to Marseille
The January transfer window is well underway in Europe, with a number of big names and clubs linked to one another as always.
While the summer typically brings the biggest moves involving the most high-profile names and the largest transfer fees, the winter window is no stranger to blockbuster deals.
Here are the latest rumors, reports and buzz during the latest edition of transfer season:
• West Ham has finally relented, selling wantaway midfielder Dimitri Payet to Marseille for £25 million. After three bids had been denied, Payet gets his way, returning to his native France and leaving the Hammers, where he rose to prominence last season. He had submitted a transfer request earlier in the winter, and manager Slaven Bilic had banished him from the first team until he changed his tune, maintaining that the club wouldn't sell. That breaking point has come, though, and Payet is on his way back to France.
• After receiving bids from both West Ham and Burnley for Robert Snodgrass, Hull City parted ways with its midfielder for the former, sending him to the Hammers for a £10.2 million fee.
• Middlesbrough is hoping to sign former Real Madrid midfielder Jese Rodriguezon loan from Paris Saint-Germain. Jese hasn't matched expectations under Unai Emery at the Ligue 1 power after signing there after a £21 million transfer. La Liga side Las Palmas is also reported to be in the mix to acquire Jese.
• Middlesbrough will part ways with U.S. goalkeeper Brad Guzan this summer, with the American heading to MLS expansion side Atlanta United after the Premier League season ends.
• Uruguayan attacking midfielder Gaston Ramirez wants out of Middlesbrough after submitting a transfer request, and Leicester City appears to be his desired destination.
• Chelsea and PSG may be out of luck in their quest to sign 20-year-old rising star midfielder Franck Kessie from Atalanta, with the club reportedly saying he's not for sale. Both clubs are said to have submitted £21 million offers.
• Neven Subotic has left Borussia Dortmund on loan to fellow Bundesliga side Cologne for the remainder of the season. Out of favor and injured at Dortmund, the Serbian-American Subotic remains in contract with the club through 2018.
• Tottenham has sent 19-year-old center back Anton Walkeson loan to Atlanta United.
• Alvaro Morata is reportedly unhappy at Real Madrid, and despite signing a new contract with the club in the summer could be offloaded.
• Marseille has made another move, signing veteran French fullback Patrice Evra from Juventus.
• Goncalo Guedes, who is touted by some as the "next Cristiano Ronaldo" is headed to PSG. The reported Manchester United target and 20-year-old winger was previously at Benfica.
• With Asmir Begovic mulling a departure from Chelsea, the Blues are lining up potential replacements as a backup to Thibaut Courtois. Celtic's Craig Gordon, AC Milan's Diego Lopez and Galatasaray's Fernando Muslera are said to be on the wish list. Chelsea submitted a bid for Gordon, but it has reportedly been rejected.
• Watford has signed forward M'Baye Niang from AC Milan on loan with an option to buy for £13.5 million at the end of the season.
• Philippe Coutinho is off the market after signing a new five-year deal with Liverpool.
• One of Iceland's Euro 2016 heroes is headed to Aston Villa, with Birkir Bjarnason leaving FC Basel for the second-tier English club and signing a deal through 2020.
• After Abdul Rahman Baba was injured at the Africa Cup of Nations, Schalke has signed midfielder Daniel Caligiuri from Bundesliga foe Wolfsburg as cover and signed him through June 2020.
• Barcelona's technical secretary says talks to re-sign Lionel Messi are progressing and going "very well." His contract expires at the end of next season.
• According to reports in Portugal, Liverpool officials have arrived in Lisbon to sign central midfielder William Carvalho from Sporting Lisbon.
• Harry Kane says it would be "stupid" for him or any of his highly rated teammates to leave Tottenham right now, as he believes the club is on the cusp of greatness.
• U.S. and Arsenal prospect Gedion Zelalem appears headed on loan to Dutch club VVV Venlo for the rest of the season. The 19-year-old was said to be a transfer target for Dortmund, but the move never materialized. Instead, Zelalem is set to join the first-place team in the Netherlands' second division. He spent last season on loan with Scotland's Rangers.
• China has come calling for Toronto FC and MLS star Sebastian Giovinco, with his agent confirming an offer has been made.
• U.S. forward Terrence Boyd has signed with Darmstadt, the last-place club in the Bundesliga, in hopes of securing playing time. He leaves title challenger RB Leipzig, where he endured an injury-plagued two seasons.
• Defender Luis Hernandez has left Leicester City for Malaga, moving on a reported £1.6 million deal. He had just joined Leicester on a free transfer in the summer.
• Joleon Lescotthas signed with Sunderland on a free transfer, as he aims to help the club steer clear of relegation. The 34-year-old English veteran was most recently with AEK Athens for just three months after a stint at Aston Villa, which was relegated last season.
• Orlando City has signed U.S. international Jonathan Spector from Birmingham City. The versatile 30-year-old last appeared for the U.S. in October 2015 and comes home after a lengthy club career abroad.
• Borussia Dortmund has signed another rising star, luring 17-year-old Swedish striker Alexander Isak from AIK on a reported €10 million move. Real Madrid was also said to be interested in the forward, who joins Dortmund's stable of teenage talent. That follows the news that Dortmund has re-signed U.S. midfielder Christian Pulisic through 2020.
• Crystal Palace will reportedly land Patrick van Aanholt from Sunderland for a fee of £12 million. Palace is also reportedly hoping to sign right back Carl Jenkinson from Arsenal.
• Liverpool has loaned winger Lazar Markovic to Hull City for the rest of his season after his loan to Sporting Lisbon was canceled by mutual consent.
• New Liverpool academy coach Steven Gerrard believes the club should go after another player from Southampton–center back Virgil van Dijk.
• West Brom has reportedly turned to other targets after cooling its interest on Watford's Odion Ighalo as a possible replacement for Saido Berahino, who was offloaded to Stoke City after a prolonged saga with the club.
• AC Milan has secured the services of Gerard Deulofeu on loan from Everton for the rest of the season.
• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has opened the door to an exit from Borussia Dortmund, saying it's possible he could leave this summer. He has been linked repeatedly to Real Madrid over the last few years.
• 2018 MLS expansion club LAFC is reportedly hoping to sign Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez for its inaugural season. Bayer Leverkusen sporting director Rudi Voller insists the club is not looking to sell Chicharito Hernandez during this window, but the club would have to consider "crazy offers" for the Mexican forward, who has struggled to match his form from a season ago. A summer sale has been reported as a more realistic possibility.
• Fiorentina forward Nikola Kalinic has turned down a four-year, $51 million offer from China's Tianjian Quanjian to remain at the Serie A club.
• Jose Fonte has completed his £8 million move from Southampton to West Ham.
• Jake Livermore has completed his move from Hull City to West Brom. The fee was reported to be in the £10 million range.
• Lyon has secured the transfer of Memphis Depay from Manchester United for a fee that could rise to £21.7 million. The deal reportedly includes a buy-back clause and sell-on clause, but it offers the Dutch forward a chance to play after being buried on the bench at Old Trafford.
• Manchester United is reportedly in talks with Antoine Griezmann's representatives for a move in the summer, which would have him team up with fellow French international Paul Pogba at Old Trafford. The cost of the transfer fee would pass the record one United paid for Pogba this past summer, with Griezmann's buyout clause set at €100 million. The Atletico Madrid striker was third in the voting for the 2016 Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year. According to the report in The Independent, Atletico Madrid would look to its former striker, Diego Costa, as a replacement for Griezmann. One potential hiccup, though, is the length of the transfer ban Atletico Madrid is currently facing and whether it would be able to bring in a reinforcement should Griezmann leave.
• Chelsea is reportedly interested in adding to its midfield, with an eye on Middlesbrough's Adama Traore.
• Yaya Toure's agent says the player turned down a lucrative, £430,000 per week offer from a Chinese club to remain at Manchester City. He was also the subject of Chinese interest last summer.
• Ligue 1 title contender Monaco has reportedly rejected a £45 million offer for Radamel Falcao from Chinese club Tianjin Quanjian.