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FA, Premier League and EFL agree to earlier summer transfer deadline
Jun 05 2026 00:32 · By onefootball.com · 8 Reads
The summer transfer deadline in England has been brought forward to 7pm BST.
This marks a four-hour shift from the traditional 11pm closure, with clubs across the Premier League and English Football League now required to complete deals earlier than usual.
The change was jointly agreed by the Football Association, Premier League and EFL .
It is intended to offer club staff working on deadline day a more manageable schedule and reduce the strain of late-night operations.
Discussions were also held with other European leagues to encourage alignment, and similar adjustments are expected across the continent.
The 2024 summer window will also feature two distinct periods due to the expanded FIFA Club World Cup.
An additional 10-day window will run from June 1 to June 10, exclusively for Premier League clubs.
This special window, approved by FIFA, allows clubs to strengthen squads ahead of the tournament.
Chelsea and Manchester City are the only English representatives in the revamped competition, which begins in the United States on June 14.
However, all Premier League sides are permitted to buy and sell players during this early June period.
This interim window will also close at 7pm, consistent with the new standard.
The main summer transfer window will open on June 16 and run until September 1.
Efforts had been made to align the closing date with the start of the domestic season, but no agreement was reached.
Officials feared that such a move would leave English clubs at a disadvantage compared to European teams.
As in previous windows, clubs will still be granted a two-hour grace period after the deadline to finalise deals.
However, the key documentation must be submitted to the FA by the new 7pm cut-off.
The decision regarding the deadline time for the winter transfer window remains pending.
That window is scheduled to open on January 1 and close on February 2.
The adjustment to the summer deadline represents a notable shift in how English football approaches transfer business.
With European leagues likely to follow suit, this move could signal a broader trend in the global football calendar.