Football transfer rumours: Dimitri Payet heading back to West Ham?
Intriguing news breaks from France, where L’Equipe is reporting that West Ham are keen on re-signing Dimitri Payet from Marseille. No offer has yet been made to the French side, where the 32-year-old has started every league game this season – but for the four for which he was suspended after insulting a referee – scoring six goals and creating another three.
Marseille’s president, Jacques-Henri Eyraud, has already promised that the team will not be weakened this month unless he receives “an offer that cannot be refused”, the question now being whether the Hammers, in their desperation to find some creativity and drag them clear of relegation, will produce one of those for someone who will be 33 by the time the campaign ends. Payet left the club under a cloud almost exactly two years ago, after effectively going on strike to force through a move and later declaring: “I had no desire to play in the lower reaches of the Premier League”. Co-chairman David Sullivan retorted: “The club would like to place on record its sincere disappointment that Payet did not show the same commitment and respect to West Ham that the club and fans showed him.” In the circumstances a return would be, well, unexpected.
Related: Transfer window January 2020 – every deal from Europe's top five leagues
Further perusal of the international sporting press finds that Tuttosport says Inter are preparing a “final assault” for Christian Eriksen, with the Gazzetta dello Sport announcing that the Nerazzurri finally have the funds available to seal the deal. According to Sky Italia, today is “the key day” in the saga, with the Dane’s agent, Martin Schoots, due in London to negotiate his departure from Tottenham. Meanwhile the Times reports that “Real Madrid are ready to discuss a deal for Gareth Bale’s return to Tottenham Hotspur”, though the chances of one actually being agreed appear outlandishly slim. In further returning-to-old-club gossip, Valencia could take Nicolás Otamendi back from Manchester City, five years after he travelled in the other direction, but not until the summer.
Chelsea want Edinson Cavani so much they will pay a £5m loan fee and cover the striker’s £360,000-a-week wages in full to take him from Paris Saint-Germain for the remainder of the season, but are likely to find that the striker is committed to Atlético Madrid. Meanwhile, Chelsea have also started scouting potential new goalkeepers, according to the Times, suggesting that patience with Kepa – who cost £71m when he joined in 2018 and has cost several goals more since – is wearing thin. Burnley’s Nick Pope and Dean Henderson, currently on loan from Manchester United to Sheffield United, have been linked.
Leicester want to bolster their squad with another centre-back and £15m Jannik Vestergaard could be their man. The 27-year-old started Southampton’s 2-0 win at Crystal Palace on Tuesday, his first league appearance since early November and, according to the Sun, Saints “feel they can afford to sacrifice a player”. Southampton have themselves been linked with moves for QPR winger Bright Osayi-Samuel and Nottingham Forest midfielder Matty Cash, both 22, while this is probably as good a place as any to crowbar in the fact that Sunderland’s Will Grigg could be on his way this month, with both Salford and Shrewsbury keen.
West Ham have joined the tussle for Bournemouth’s Ryan Fraser, who is out of contract at the end of the season. The Mirror can’t tell us who else is involved in the tussle, only that the player “should have no shortage of admirers”, while the Mail suggests the move could go through this month. The Hammers are also interested in Stoke’s Joe Allen, but Burnley have also been watching the 31-year-old. The Clarets have meanwhile been quoted a massive price for Middlesbrough centre-back Dael Fry. “He is not for sale unless someone pays £30m,” sniffed his manager, Jonathan Woodgate.
