All you need to know about Transfer Deadline Day

What the report says

BBC Sport’s Ask Me Anything team has published a deadline-day guide as the summer transfer window nears its close. The piece explains the key dates for Premier League and EFL clubs, along with closing times in major leagues across Europe and elsewhere, and notes that FIFA rules limit a transfer window to no more than 16 weeks in a calendar year.

The article also outlines the main procedures clubs must follow, including the “deal sheet” system that gives Premier League teams a short extra period to complete paperwork after the final hours of the window begin. It adds that free agents can still be signed after the deadline, although they generally must wait for the next registration period before playing unless there is space in a club’s squad list.

BBC Sport sets out the Premier League’s squad-registration rules, including the 25-senior-player limit and the cap on non-homegrown players, while noting that under-21 players are not counted in that total. The guide says clubs must manage squad size carefully, with recent rules meant to prevent practices such as forcing unwanted players into separate training groups.

Looking ahead, the BBC points to several late-window possibilities, including uncertainty around players such as Jack Grealish, Enzo Fernandez, Julian Alvarez and Cody Gakpo. It also highlights recent deadline-day moves for context, such as Alexander Isak’s British-record transfer to Liverpool, and tells readers how to follow live coverage on BBC platforms.