All you need to know about Transfer Deadline Day

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One of the most famous Deadline Day moves was in 2004 when Wayne Rooney joined Manchester United on the last day of the window (Image: Matthew Peters/Getty Images)
One of the most famous Deadline Day moves was in 2004 when Wayne Rooney joined Manchester United on the last day of the window (Image: Matthew Peters/Getty Images)

It's Deadline Day for clubs across Europe today and many clubs will be looking to tie up any last minute deals.

Deadline Day has always been a source of excitement for fans up and down the country as they hope and pray their club's can pull off those last minute signings. Today has already seen a number of interesting developments with Liverpool closing in on a deal for Bayern Munich's Ryan Gravenberch and Cole Palmer has complete a £42.5m move from Manchester City to Chelsea.

Manchester United are said to be involved in a tussle for Sofyan Amrabat of Fiorentina as well as tying up a deal for Tottenham's Sergio Reguilon, while Liverpool have rejected an opening bid from Al-Ittihad of around £100 million for Mohamed Salah. But how does it all work exactly?

Sometimes fans are often left in the dark about the inner workings of the day itself and are left wondering if a deal has actually been completed as the 11pm deadline passes. So in order for you to really enjoy Deadline Day and really understand what's going on, we've compiled a handy guide so you can find out what actually happens on one of English football's busiest days.

When does the Transfer Window close in England?

The window shuts at 23:00 BST, tonight (Friday, September 1). However, clubs do have a two-hour window after the deadline to tie up a signing if they submit what's known in the football world as a 'deal sheet'.

What is a deal sheet?

According to the Premier League, Clubs can wrap up deals at the very last minute and it is not always easy for them to get everything relevant completed and sent over by the cut-off date. The deal sheet allows a club to confirm that a deal has been reached in order to allow for additional time to submit the remaining documentation.

For a deadline of 11pm, the deal sheet cannot be used before 9pm and needs to arrive fully completed before the transfer window closes. Once the sheet arrives, clubs have got another two hours, or until 1am to submit the full paperwork.

Man Utd initially wanted to sign Sabitzer's teammate but Bayern Munich refused qhidquiqzkidreinvMan Utd initially wanted to sign Sabitzer's teammate but Bayern Munich refused

How do club's complete a transfer on Deadline Day?

In order to register a player, clubs have to send the Premier League all the documents relating to the transfer, including the contract, the transfer agreement, permission to work in the UK (if that's required), international clearance if transferring from abroad as well as any transfer levy that may be applicable.

As the transfer deadline approaches, clubs are then asked whether they are planning to complete any further business so that the Premier League's Football Operations and Regulatory departments are prepared.

When does Deadline Day for leagues across Europe and the rest of the world close?

England - 11pm

Scotland - Midnight

Germany - 5pm

Italy - 7pm

Spain - 11pm

France - 10pm

Saudi Arabia - September 7 (or September 20 according to FIFA's website)

Do clubs have to submit a squad list?

After the transfer window has shut, clubs are then required to submit an updated squad list to the Premier League. This will be published later in September.

Each squad should contain no more than 17 players who do not fulfil the "Home Grown Player" (HGP) criteria. The rest of the squad, up to a total of 25 players, must be "Home Grown".

Reasons why Man Utd signed Sabitzer over other midfielders in deadline day moveReasons why Man Utd signed Sabitzer over other midfielders in deadline day move

What are the biggest deals to happen on Transfer Deadline Day in Premier League history?

There have been some earth shattering transfers pulled off at the last minute by Premier League clubs over the years. Wayne Rooney's move to Manchester United was sealed on the final day Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano's shock, and somewhat controversial move to West Ham United was completed late on in the day in 2006.

Other big moves have seen Ashley Cole join Chelsea from Arsenal in 2006, Dimitar Berbatov switch from Spurs to Manchester United late on in 2008, Mesut Ozil's mega money move to Arsenal from Real Madrid on the last day in 2013 and Gareth Bale's 100m switch to Real Madrid from Spurs also in 2013.

All you need to know about Transfer Deadline DayCarlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano to West Ham came as a huge shock (Getty Images)

How can you watch Deadline Day unfold?

You can watch it on Sky Sports with their free live stream. You can see new signings in action and watch the Premier League season on Sky Sports from £22 a month.

And finally, do clubs actually use a fax machine for transfers?

We've often heard in the past of deals falling through thanks to a fax not being sent in time but how true is it? The Premier League say that clubs have a number of options in which to send documents through to the governing body.

This is helpful to the clubs because they might be having difficulty in getting through with one of the methods. The fax machine has since been retired but clubs have the option of sending desktop faxes and scanned documents via email.

Chris Burns

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