Winter transfer window opens: When it closes, registration rules and summer dates
The Athletic has all you need to know about the winter transfer window, which opened today.
The winter transfer window is officially open for clubs across Europe, giving teams the chance to refresh their squads halfway through the season.
While typically quieter than the longer summer window, January is often an opportunity to address holes in a team due to depth or injury issues, with Premier League sides making a total of 40 signings last year.
As clubs race to do business before deadline day, here’s everything you need to know about the transfer window.
When does the window close?
The transfer window closes in the Premier League on Monday, February 2 (due to the traditional date of January 31 falling on a Saturday) at 7pm GMT (2pm ET). Previous windows had been open until 11pm, with that time brought forward in the summer.
Deals can be completed after 7pm, with clubs required to submit a ‘deal sheet’ that has to be submitted two hours before the deadline, and gives teams two extra hours to finalise moves.
Liverpool submitted a deal sheet in a move for Palace captain Guehi in the summer but Palace pulled out of the deal (Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
The 7pm deadline aligns with Germany’s Bundesliga, France’s Ligue 1 and Italy’s Serie A, though La Liga’s deadline remains at 11pm.
In Germany and France, the window does not officially open until January 2.
The Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship window also opens on January 2 and runs until 11pm on February 3.
What are the dates for the summer window?
The Premier League has not officially confirmed the dates its window will open. Last year, this was announced in March.
FIFA’s list of registration windows has the period for men’s professional transfers opening on Monday, June 15 and closing on Monday, August 31, with the women’s a week later in both cases.
What about MLS?
The winter window is usually busier and more important for MLS clubs than its summer counterpart, due to it taking place before the start of the MLS season in February.
The dates for the 2026 window have not been confirmed, but last year it ran from January 31 until April 23.
In the summer of 2027, the league’s schedule will flip to align with European leagues, running from mid-July to May, rather than within a single calendar year. This could shift the focus on to the summer window, which MLS plans to have open for slightly longer than the European leagues.
Who could move this winter?
One of the most high-profile names that could be on the move this summer is Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo.
The Athletic reported on December 23 that Semenyo’s preference was to join Manchester City, after varying levels of interest from Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur.
Semenyo’s Bournemouth contract contains a £65million release clause, with City expected to take steps in the coming days to formalise the situation.
Another Premier League forward that could soon be changing clubs is Spurs’ Brennan Johnson. The Athletic reported on December 30 that a fee approaching £35m had been agreed between Tottenham and Crystal Palace. The Wales international finished as the club’s top scorer last season and netted the winning goal in May’s Europa League final.
The January window will also see the official arrival of Enrick at Ligue 1 club Lyon, on loan from Real Madrid. The Brazilian teenager is joining the French side in search of regular game time after weeks of talks between the two teams.
Wondering who else to keep an eye on this window? Stay tuned to The Athletic.
Can new signings be registered for UEFA competitions?
Winter arrivals can be registered for European competition before the start of the knockout phase, though clubs are only allowed to make a maximum of three changes to their UEFA squads.
Last year, Aston Villa signed five new players in the winter window, bringing in Marcus Rashford, Marco Asensio and Axel Disasi on loan while Donyell Malen and Andres Garcia arrived on permanent deals. Rashford, Asensio and Disasi were subsequently registered for the Champions League (replacing Jhon Duran, Jadon Philogene and Diego Carlos, who had left the club), while Malen and Garcia were left out.
Malen has been included in Villa’s Europa League squad this season (Eddie Keogh/Getty Images)
The registration of any new signings must also align with UEFA’s rules on ‘locally trained’ players. Clubs are required to have players trained in England, including four ‘club-trained’ players who have been registered at their current team for three consecutive seasons between the ages of 15 and 21.
Teams are allowed to compete without registering the necessary amount, but the squad size is reduced by the amount that a club misses the quota. For example, Arsenal have registered 23 players in their Champions League squad this season, seven of which are locally trained. This means that Arsenal are capped at 24 players, rather than the maximum of 25, and have room for one new non-homegrown player and one new locally trained player.
For European competition, clubs are also required to comply with UEFA’s squad cost ratio (SCR(. For the 2025-26 season, teams can spend up to 70 per cent of their income on squad costs, which includes player salaries, transfer amortisation and agent fees. Last term, Chelsea and Villa were found to have exceeded the cap (then set at 80 per cent) and were fined €11m and €6m respectively.
What about Premier League registration?
Teams may register up to 25 players for Premier League competition, with no more than 17 players allowed to be non-homegrown — come through at an academy in England. Any new signings can be registered provided that there is space in the squad.
Players classed as ‘Under-21’ (this season, anyone born on or after January 1, 2004) do not count towards the total and can be freely included in matchday squads.