Negotiations between West Ham United and Marseille for Dimitri Payet has created a chain of transfers that cannot be completed until Payet is sold. The chain leads through the Championship all the way down to Coventry City, currently at the bottom of League One.

Payet has made no secret of his desperation to return to Marseille for family reasons. West Ham accept that a sale is the best option for all parties but they have not yet received an offer anywhere near their valuation from the French club.

Marseille have made three bids for Payet so far, the third of which was just under £23million. West Ham’s initial asking price was £35m, far beyond Marseille’s reach, but there is now confidence in France that West Ham will sell for somewhere just above £25m. Marseille are in no rush, though, and want to push West Ham all the way until the end of window to get the best deal for the player they sold to West Ham for £10.7m in 2015.

But until Payet is sold to Marseille, West Ham are reluctant to close the deal for Scott Hogan, the Brentford forward they are chasing. West Ham and Brentford have agreed a basic fee close to £12m but are still haggling over add-ons that could take the total deal closer to £15m. No deal between the clubs has been reached yet but Hogan has been left out of Brentford’s side recently in expectation that it will.

Brentford have already lined up the players they want to sign when Hogan is sold. Dean Smith wants more talented youngsters in his side so has targeted Sergi Canos, so impressive at Griffin Park last year, and Ben Stevenson of Coventry City.

Norwich City will sell Canos for £2.5million, the fee they paid for him, but Brentford cannot make a formal bid until they have the Hogan money. Canos would like to return to Brentford, but Leeds United are also keen.

Brentford made two bids of £500,000 and £1m for Stevenson at the start of the month and wanted the deal done quickly. Coventry were initially looking for £1.5m but now that they know Brentford are likely to sell Hogan, they want closer to £2.5m for their most talented youngster.