Live Transfer Blog: EPL, La Liga and Rest of Europe [15th January 2017]

All the latest transfer news from across Europe!

That's all from me today! We'll have another article on all the various transfer news and rumours published later today. You can catch up on all the news there. We'll be back with the live blog tomorrow morning. Have a good rest of the weekend, folks!

So Bayern have done some pretty decent business as they look to a future beyond the likes of Philippe Lahm and Xabi Alonso. You can read more about the deals for the two Hoffenheim players here.

#FCBayern are pleased to announce that deals are in place to sign Niklas #Süle and Sebastian #Rudy in the summer. pic.twitter.com/kPkzAGwGuj
— FC Bayern English (@FCBayernEN) January 15, 2017

Mauro Icardi has absolutely no plans of leaving Inter at the moment. The Italian Serie A's top goal scorer (15 goals so far) has been a target for the Chinese Super League but he knows there's always time to play outside Europe at the end of his career.

"China? I renewed [my contract at Inter]," he said. "I'm happy to be with this shirt. China, there is always time at the end of career."

Liverpool target Sead Kolasinac may not move to Anfield in January after Schalke's director of football confirmed the left-back would stay at the club till the end of the season at least.

“Nothing changed from some days ago," he said. "Sead is still on a deal with us, there’s nothing more to say about it. We want to keep him with us, he’s not going anywhere else before June."

According to reports, Manchester United are set to extend David De Gea's current contract. After almost losing him to Real Madrid last summer, the Old Trafford club are ready to pay him £200,000 per week to ensure the 26-year-old Spaniard stays at the club till 2020.

His current contract sees him earn £180,000 per week and runs util the summer of 2019.

West Ham have decided to cash in on Dimitri Payet and will allow the wantaway midfielder to leave - at the right price. And that price has been set at a whopping £35m. The board want to get rid of him now and would rather have a player who actually wants to play for the club.

Even his teammate Andy Carroll criticised the French playmaker, saying: "I don't think any player is bigger than the club. That's what the lads believe, the manager, all the staff and the fans."

According to reports in Italy, Manchester United are also looking at Franck Kessie as a midfield signing. Atalanta are doing well this season and are currently in 7th place and 20-year-old Kessie has scored six times this season.

Chelsea and Liverpool are also reported to be keeping tabs on the youngster.

According to reports, Real Madrid are close to signing Alexander Isak - the next Zlatan Ibrahimovic! The 17-year-old is 6'2" and is one of the most scouted forwards in Europe.

Read more about this story here.

Now this one has come out of the blue. After selling Morgan Schneiderlin to Everton, Mourinho now wants to bolster his midfield with Nemanja Matic. Having helped him win the Premier League title at Chelsea, Mourinho feels he is the perfect player to partner Paul Pogba in the centre of the park.

Read more about that story here.

Meanwhile, Patrick Bamford's loan spell at Burnley has been cut short after Chelsea recalled their young striker.

"He’s been called back by Chelsea today," Burnley manager Sean Dyche said. “It’s their prerogative to do that."

Though Bamford was signed by Chelsea five years ago as a teenager, he has been sent out on loan a number of times to either lower league clubs or smaller EPL clubs in England. Will he now start under Conte?

Didier Drogba is 38 years old and is not yet ready to hang up his boots. Let that sink in first.

And it looks like he may be moving to Brazil - the fourth continent he will play club football in if the deal goes through. Brazilian club Corinthians are in talks with the player and their Sporting Director said they are ready to sign him.

"Corinthians were yesterday informed of Drogba's demands which weren't excessive, and we've sent off a formal proposition to the player's agent saying that they've been accepted."

After Barcelona sacked the director who said Lionel Messi "wouldn't be such a good player" without his teammates, Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has clarified the club's position on the Argentine forward's future.

"We want Leo to stay here, we want him to renew with us and he's very important for the club and for Barca," he said.

You can read more quotes from the Catalan club's president here.

A lot has been said about Alexis Sanchez's so-called tantrum after he was subbed off at Swansea with about 10 minutes to go. However, Wenger has played down any issues with the Chilean forward.

"Looking at the game tonight, that is really minor, minor, minor," the Frenchman said. "All players are frustrated when they come off - some show it, some don't. I am long enough in the job to know that. I just make the decision I feel is right and that's it. Nothing more than that.

"He's a good guy who gives a lot and wants to do well, always, for the team. There is no problem. But every culture is different. Some South Americans are a bit different to Europeans."

Who knows, maybe Alexis just missed his dogs. He did leave them behind in a different country after all when the gunners travelled to play Swansea.

It's safe to say that Antonio Conte is not exactly a big fan of Michy Batshuayi considering the fact that he hasn't played enough even when Diego Costa is unavailable. And now Paris Saint-Germain are targeting the Belgian striker in a bid to improve their title credentials.

PSG are currently third behind Nice and Monaco and they have scored 17 goals fewer than Monaco!

Southampton defender Jose Fonte had handed in a transfer request and he is now a target for *drum roll* Liverpool FC! Surprise, surprise...

The Portuguese centre-back was unhappy with the new contract offered to him and the Anfield side are ready to welcome yet another Saints player with open arms. However, Southampton may get Mamadou Sakho in return - which probably looks like a win-win for both clubs - except it's not.

After Dimitri Payet started sulking and refused to play for West Ham, the club are now planning to replace him with Swansea playmaker Gylfi Sigurdsson.

The Icelandic midfielder has seen better seasons with the Welsh club who are struggling in the relegation zone and a £20m bid might see him move to London if he doesn't see a future with the Swans.

Marcus Rashford is now a target for La Liga club Sevilla. The 19-year-old took the league by storm last season but has found minutes hard to come by up front (who wouldn't with Zlatan Ibrahimovic leading the line?).

West Ham are also interested but Mourinho may not let the youngster go. Games will come thick and fast, especially with FA Cup and EFL Cup games followed by the Europa League knockout rounds and Mourinho will surely rotate his squad.

Will Alexis and Ozil extend their contracts?

Both Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil are yet to extend their contracts at Arsenal and manager Arsene Wenger is keen to keep discussions under wraps for the time being as the club negotiates with the two players. Both their contracts run out in the summer of 2018 and the club does not want them to go into the final year without an extension or they risk losing them for free.

Olivier Giroud, who recently extended his own contract, hopes they will sign, though.

"Obviously we hope they're going to do the same but it’s up to the player. I don't know what they want, but hopefully they will do it soon."

First up is Diego Costa! Antonio Conte said before the game that yesterday that Costa was not fit and did not train this week. Hence, his omission from the squad that beat Leicester City last night.

"Diego stopped his training on Tuesday because he felt a pain in his back and from that moment he didn't train during the week and for this reason he wasn't available and this is the truth." - Conte

Of course, he didn't bother to talk about the £30m-per-year offer from China that has turned Costa's head. Conte is said to have had a row with the striker, saying "Go to China!" but when asked about the supposed incident, Conte said: "I don't know about this."

Good morning, football fans! It's 15th January and we've reached the halfway mark of the winter transfer window. You know what that means - managers have exactly another 15 days to identify targets and make a mad rush on Deadline Day!

I kid, of course. Let's get straight into it then!