Why summer transfer window has new deadline time as Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs impacted

The summer transfer window of 2025 is set to close earlier than usual this year. Premier League and EFL clubs will be unable to sign players after7pm BST on Monday, September 1.

As per tradition, clubs will have a two-hour grace period post the window closure to finalise deals, but only if the paperwork is submitted to the Football Association (FA) by 7pm. The transfer windows in La Liga, Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and Serie A will all shut simultaneously.

Historically, the transfer window in England has closed at 11pm BST, but this has been shifted to an earlier closing time following an agreement between the FA, Premier League and EFL. The change aims to provide a more normal working pattern for staff involved in transfers, instead of the late nights and unsociable hours that have become synonymous with deadline day.

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However, Scotland's window will still remain open until 11pm, while FIFA's international transfer deadline remains unchanged, closing at midnight. Saudi Arabia's window will be open until Wednesday, October 8.

This follows the division of the summer transfer window into two parts this year, with the first phase having run from 1st June to 10th June. The window was brought forward to allow teams involved in the Club World Cup the opportunity to sign players before the tournament began on 15th June, reports the Express.

Due to FIFA's rules, which state that a transfer window cannot exceed 16 weeks in a calendar year, the window was split this summer, reopening for a second time on Monday, 16 June.

It's already been an incredibly busy summer for Premier League clubs. The signing of Eberechi Eze by Arsenal last week pushed this summer's spending to a jaw-dropping £2.6 billion - setting a new record for expenditure in a single transfer window with a week still to go.

Last year's spending stopped at £2.1 billion, while the previous record was set in the 2023/24 season with £2.5 billion. This summer's high spending is due to several high-profile signings and a £1.4 billion investment in forwards - approximately £850 million more than the amount spent on defenders.

Most notably, Chelsea and Tottenham have also been busy. Alejandro Garnacho's move to Stamford Bridge from Manchester United was confirmed on Saturday while Spurs announced the huge arrival of Xavi Simons on Friday.

Arsenal are expected to sign Piero Hincapié before the window closes, while the likes of Jakub Kiwior, Reiss Nelson, Fabio Vieira and Oleksandr Zinchenko could all leave.

Chelsea could bring in Fermin Lopez and Conrad Harder before the deadline, while the likes of Nicolas Jackson, Tyrique George and Wesley Fofana have been linked with leaving.

At Tottenham, Lucas Paqueta, Ademola Lookman and Kobbie Mainoo have all been linked, with Yves Bissouma, Bryan Gil and Manor Solomon could all leave.