Not all transfer windows in football shut on the same day and at the same time. Just like the windows in Italy and Germany closed a few hours before ours on January 31st, there are countries who still have quite some time left to buy players. Transfer windows closing only prevents clubs registering players, they don't stop sales, and as such an English team can sell a player to a club in a transfer window even though ours has finished.
In Russia they've still got until the end of February to sign players and the clubs there haven't simply stopped looking at targets here because we're 'closed'. Izvestia in the country reported a couple of days ago that Zenit St Petersburg want to sign Liverpool's Martin Skrtel and the rumours surrounding a move have grown since then in the country.
Liverpool signed the central defender from Zenit and the media outlet pushing the story say one of the reasons he's being targeted is because he would be able to fit straight into the league and the club. There are few concerns about whether the Slovakian would be able to settle in and perform - simply because he's proved himself there before. In terms of adding to their defence for immediate impact, there aren't many better options for Zenit.
It's acknowledged that getting him from the Merseyside club would be difficult at this time and a transfer fee of €15m is mentioned. Liverpool will surely feel that they want to keep him, especially with having no opportunity to replace the player, but if a big enough bid comes in then it could make it a more difficult decision.
Skrtel isn't the automatic first pick he used to be but Brendan Rodgers will probably want to keep him until the summer and then look at the situation again.
The Daily Mail said last July that Zenit were looking tempt the defender with a pay offer of around £110,000 per week.
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