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Hmm

— OBAMARTINS (@oba_martins) March 11, 2013

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(UPDATE 10:00 a.m. — Levante’s team website is now confirming Martins’ buyout clause has been paid. The club will be holding a press conference soon)

(UPDATE 9:45 a.m. — Here’s an update saying the payment has indeed been made, and confirmation again here)

(UPDATE 9:33 a.m. — Even the player himself had a curious tweet, posted above)

Some major developments in the Obafemi Martins transfer saga have been reported from Spain this morning.

It appears as though the buyout clause in the forward’s contract, reportedly around $4 million, will be paid and he will be leaving Spain’s Levante UD for the Sounders imminently.

Here’s a report that said the payment will be made this afternoon. Here’s another that says the same thing. Both those stories were passed along by the guys at Sounder at Heart.

We have known about Sounders FC’s interest in Martins for a couple weeks now, though things had been a bit quiet the past few days. The Nigerian international would address a major need at forward following the loss of Fredy Montero on loan to Colombia’s Millionarios for 2013 and take up Seattle’s third designated player slot.

Space on the roster was opened when the team bought out the contract of DP Christian Tiffert.

The Sounders haven’t scored in their first two games of the season — a March 2 MLS opener at home against Montreal (a 1-0 loss) and Wednesday’s first leg of a CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals at Mexico’s Tigres UANL (also a 1-0 loss).

GM Adrian Hanauer had used terminology like “circle the wagons” and “cross the finish line” within the past couple weeks regarding the team’s interest in Martins, which had portrayed confidence the move would get done, even as Levante officials expressed hope of keeping the forward until June.

What do you make of the latest?

@levanteud‘s president confirms @oba_martins has communicated he’s going to pay this afternoon his buyout (3€ mill). Leaving to @soundersfc

— Carlos Ayats Pérez (@CarlosAyats) March 11, 2013

Obafemi Martins will leave Levante at (17:00) & join Seattle Sounders tomorrow. He’ll pay the €3M (buy-out clause) – tiny.cc/36cstw

— Gary Linton (@AlbaEspana) March 11, 2013