Liverpool and Everton are able to sign players from now until the January transfer window's closure, with the deadline day date and time changing from last year
Liverpool Manager Arne Slot celebrates the 1-2 win during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on December 20, 2025 in London, England.
Liverpool boss Arne Slot could add fresh faces to his squad in January(Image: Shaun Brooks - CameraSport, CameraSport via Getty Images)
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The January transfer window has just opened and Premier League clubs have a bit more time than usual to complete their deals. The mid-season window was first introduced in the 2002/03 season, offering teams the chance to strengthen their squads or address any weaknesses for the second half of the campaign.
Usually, the window lasts a month, with the current one opening on January 1, 2026. Yet, this time around, Premier League sides have been given a little extra time to finalise any potential transfers.
This year's deadline day is set for Monday, February 2, with the Premier League window shutting at 7pm UK time. If a deal is agreed between two clubs late in the day, the Premier League will permit some additional time for the necessary paperwork to be completed and submitted via a 'deal sheet'.
Teams competing in any UEFA competition have until midnight on Thursday, February 5 to register their squads for the knockout stages. That all ultimately gives the likes of Everton and Liverpool extra leeway if they feel the need to conduct transfer business late in the window.
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Why does the transfer window close in February?
Last year's January window shut at 11pm on February 3 - the latest it has ever closed. A February closing date is usually selected when January 31 falls on a weekend, which is also the case this year with the month ending on a Saturday.
Do other European leagues have a later closing date?
Like the Premier League, both Germany's Bundesliga and France's Ligue 1 kick off their transfer windows on January 1, while Italy's Serie A and Spain's La Liga have to wait an extra day for their windows to open on January 2.
All of these leagues have their deadlines set for 7pm UK time on February 2, with the exception of Spain, which allows clubs an additional four hours to finalise their deals before its window shuts at 11pm UK time.
In a major shift from previous years, the January window will now close at the earlier time of 7pm - meaning Arne Slot and David Moyes will have slightly less time to tie up any loose ends on deadline day itself. This follows the decision to close the summer window at 7pm on September 1, a move designed to give club officials and staff a more manageable schedule on deadline day.
Everton Manager David Moyes celebrates at the end of the match during the Premier League match between Everton and Nottingham Forest at Hill Dickinson Stadium on December 6, 2025 in Liverpool, England.
Premier League managers can sign players until the evening of February 2 (Image: Richard Martin-Roberts - CameraSport, CameraSport via Getty Images)
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Which leagues are the exceptions?
Portuguese teams have an extra day to complete their transfer dealings, with their window closing on February 3. The likes of Austria, Greece and Turkey all shut on February 6, while Switzerland’s remains open late until February 16.
Can clubs sign players or free agents after the deadline?
While signings can sometimes be announced outside of a transfer window, a player cannot be registered to play for their new team until the window reopens. Free agents, on the other hand, can sign for a team at any time, as they are not under contract with another club.