The January transfer window slams shut in two days. According to The Mirror, Premier League clubs have already spent more than £140 million during the ongoing window and with just 48 hours left, there are good chances that there will be more deals completed and more business done.
The £27 million spent by Manchester City on Brazilian starlet Gabriel Jesus stands as the biggest expenditure by an English club while the £60 million Chelsea received from the sale of another Brazilian, Oscar, is the highest received.
Tuesday will provide clubs the last opportunity to strengthen their squads in what has been a roller-coaster of a season, whereas there may be some big-name exits as well. While Chelsea lead the table, the likes of Tottenham and Liverpool aren’t far behind and the pressure is still on. Same is the case at the bottom of the table, with many teams clustered around a similar number of points, making for an interesting fight for relegation.
We take you through three deals that could still go through before Tuesday evening as the transfer window nears its end:
Dimitri Payet – West Ham to Marseille
Dimitri Payet looks certain to leave after he told Slaven Bilic he no longer wants to play for the club earlier this month, with former club Marseille being his preferred destination. There have been negotiations between the clubs, but the two parties are yet to settle on a transfer fee, with Hammers in no mood to let go of their asset for cheap. Latest reports have emerged stating that a fee of £28 million has been agreed upon by the two clubs.
However, with the arrival of Robert Snodgrass as a replacement and continued reports of Scott Hogan’s impending signature, things could speed up soon in the last couple of days and the 29-year old Frenchman will most likely be heading back to his homeland after a successful year and a half in London.
Branislav Ivanovic – Chelsea to Zenit St. Petersburg
The Chelsea right-back looks to be on his way out of Stamford Bridge this month. The Blues decided not to offer the Serbian a new deal and with his current contract set to expire at the end of the season, he was free to negotiate terms with other clubs. Manager Antonio Conte acknowledged as much after Chelsea’s 4-0 win over Brentford in the FA Cup over the weekend, stating that Ivanovic’s exit seems imminent.
There was plenty of interest around the senior statesman, with West Bromwich Albion, Watford all monitoring his situation. However, it is Russian side Zenit St. Petersburg who have stolen a march and are most likely to capture Ivanovic.
Mamadou Sakho – Liverpool to Southampton
The much-maligned French defender is looking for a way out from Anfield for quite some time now and there is a good amount of chance that he could end up at the St. Mary’s by the end of this month. Sakho has been frozen out from the Liverpool squad by manager Jurgen Klopp owing to some disciplinary issues during the pre-season tour and ever since hasn’t been a part of the Reds’ first team.
Southampton however, lost their former captain and defender Jose Fonte earlier this week to West Ham United and his partner Virgil van Dijk is ruled out for nearly three months due to injury, leaving the Saints pretty thin at the back. There was an offer made earlier, but progress has stalled since then, but with the Saints’ desperate need for cover in the backline, expect this one to go through before the window shuts for business.