With the summer transfer deadline approaching, BBC Sport’s Ask Me Anything team has answered the key questions facing Premier League, EFL and Scottish clubs as they finalise their squads for the 2026-27 season.
The transfer window opened on Monday 15 June and will close for Premier League clubs at 11pm BST on Tuesday 1 September. The same deadline applies to the English Football League.
Clubs must complete their deals and submit the required registration information before the deadline. However, teams that file a deal sheet before 11pm can be granted an additional two hours to finish the paperwork.
What happens after the transfer deadline?
Once the window closes, clubs cannot normally register new signings until it reopens in January. Free agents may still be signed in certain circumstances, provided they were not registered with another club when the window shut.
Players can also leave English clubs for leagues whose transfer windows remain open, although their former teams would not be able to bring in a direct replacement after the domestic deadline.
The deadline is not identical across every competition. Scotland’s window is scheduled to remain open until 5pm BST on Thursday 3 September, while the Women’s Super League has its own closing date later in the week.
The Ask Me Anything team has also explained how clubs assess transfer fees, why sporting directors play a central role in recruitment and what can happen when a player asks to leave.
A transfer request does not oblige a club to sell. It can be made formally through a player’s representatives, or communicated by the player or their agent, but submitting one may affect bonuses and other contractual payments.
BBC Sport will continue to provide transfer news, confirmed deals and analysis as clubs work towards the final hours of the summer window.
