Chinese Super League champions Shanghai SIPG confirmed the capture of Austria international forward Marko Arnautovic from Premier League club West Ham United on Monday.

SIPG, who won the Chinese title for the first time last season and are currently No. 3 in the league, made the announcement on their official social media outlets.

The 30-year-old's signing sees Vitor Pereira's side strengthen their attacking options with a little less than half of the Chinese league season remaining.

Arnautovic joins former Chelsea midfielder Oscar and his fellow Brazilian Hulk in Shanghai and his arrival is expected to be followed by the departure of striker Elkeson, who has been heavily linked with a return to Guangzhou Evergrande.

SIPG are two points adrift of league leaders Beijing Guoan with 14 games of the domestic campaign remaining and are also due to play Japan's Urawa Red Diamonds in the quarterfinals of the Asian Champions League next month.

Meanwhile, Shanghai SIPG's city rivals Shanghai Shenhua also made a statement of intent with the signing of Stephan El Shaarawy from Roma, making the Italian international forward their most expensive acquisition to date as they bid to avoid relegation.

The 26-year-old joined Shenhua for a transfer fee of 17.95 million U.S. dollars, the Italian Serie A club said on Monday.

Shenhua are 14th in the 16-team CSL standings just over halfway through the season, only one point above the relegation zone.

Former Valencia and Watford coach Quique Sanchez Flores resigned last week after just over six months in charge after a disappointing run, citing "personal reasons."

The Spaniard was replaced by Choi Kang-hee and on Monday his compatriot Kim Shin-wook, an experienced international striker, also made the move to Shenhua from Jeonbuk Motors.

Shenhua have scored only 18 goals in 16 matches this season and will be looking to their newly acquired strike force to improve their effectiveness up front.

El Shaarawy, capped 23 times by Italy, joined Roma from AC Milan in January 2016 after spending the first half of the season on loan at French side Monaco.

Elsewhere in England, Youri Tielemans moved to Leicester on a permanent deal following a successful loan spell last season.

The Belgium midfielder arrived at Leicester from Monaco for a reported club-record fee of 50 million U.S. dollars, with the Premier League club saying he is "widely considered to be one of the most exciting young talents in European football." 

The 22-year-old Tielemans, who impressed when spending the second half of last season on loan at the King Power Stadium, joined a few days after Spanish forward Ayoze Perez moved to Leicester.

"It's an incredibly exciting time for this football club," Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers said, adding "to be able to bring players of Youri's quality here is an indication of the hunger for success we have here."