Summer transfer window new deadline time as Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs impacted

Authors: Josh Holland

Publisher:

footballlondon

Published: 8/31/2025

Language:English

--:--

Tom Banks

Good morning 跑了松鼠好嘛, I'm Tom Banks, and this is Goose Pod for you. Today is Wednesday, September 03th. The time is 07:00.

Mask

And I'm Mask. We're here to discuss the summer transfer window's new, earlier deadline and the shockwaves it's sending through clubs like Arsenal, Chelsea, and Spurs. The game is changing.

Tom Banks

Let's get started. The big news is that the Premier League and EFL transfer window now closes at 7 p.m. on September 1st, not 11 p.m. as we've been used to. It’s a significant shift designed for a more 'civilized' end to the transfer frenzy.

Mask

'Civilized' is another word for 'less exciting.' The chaos of the final hours is where legends are made and mistakes are punished. This new deadline is an attempt to tame the very nature of competition. It’s a step back from the brinkmanship that defines high-stakes negotiations.

Tom Banks

There is a provision, though. Clubs can submit a deal sheet after 5 p.m. to get a two-hour extension until 9 p.m. to finalize the paperwork. So, there’s still a small window for late drama, just not an all-night affair for the staff involved.

Mask

A two-hour leash. It reminds me of what Marcus Rashford said about Manchester United being in 'no man's land' without a clear plan. Hard deadlines force a plan. This softening of the edge, this constant shifting, is how you end up directionless and mediocre.

Tom Banks

Well, the whole summer has been unusual. The window was actually split into two parts because of the FIFA Club World Cup. There was an initial ten-day period in early June so teams in that tournament, like Manchester City and Chelsea, could register players early.

Mask

An interesting workaround, but it’s a footnote to the real story: the spending. Over £2.6 billion spent by Premier League clubs. That’s a new record for a single window. The market isn’t slowing down; it’s accelerating. The deadline is a secondary detail to the sheer financial force at play.

Tom Banks

It's true, the spending has been astronomical. And it's all happening under the watchful eye of FIFA, which has been reforming the transfer system. They've implemented a Clearing House to ensure training compensation is paid correctly, trying to bring more financial integrity to the process.

Mask

More bureaucracy. FIFA's answer to a dynamic, chaotic market is to create a new administrative body. It’s a predictable, slow-moving solution. The market will always find a way to innovate faster than the regulators can write rules. The £2.6 billion figure proves that.

Tom Banks

The main driver for this earlier deadline in England was staff welfare. The late nights and immense pressure took a toll. This change, agreed upon by the FA, Premier League, and EFL, is about creating a more sustainable working pattern for the people who make these deals happen.

Mask

Sustainable is not a word that belongs in the vocabulary of elite performance. Do you think great things are achieved by prioritizing a normal working pattern? This is the Premier League, not a nine-to-five office job. This move sacrifices competitive edge for comfort. It’s a fundamental misunderstanding of what drives success.

Tom Banks

But there’s a conflict with international deadlines, isn't there? Scotland's window is still open until 11 p.m., and Saudi Arabia's until October 8th. Doesn't this put Premier League clubs at a disadvantage, where their players can be poached after their own deadline has passed?

Mask

Exactly! It creates a one-way street for player movement. It’s a strategically naive decision that benefits other leagues. It introduces a vulnerability that more aggressive, forward-thinking leagues will exploit. We've just handed them an advantage for the sake of a few hours of sleep. It's madness.

Tom Banks

Beyond the official deadline, the real pressure point for many clubs has become the unofficial June 30th deadline. This is the cut-off for their annual accounts to comply with the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Regulations, or PSR. We're seeing a flurry of activity before that date now.

Mask

PSR is another tool of conformity. It’s designed to prevent ambitious clubs from challenging the established order. The points deductions for Everton and Nottingham Forest weren't a punishment for bad accounting; they were a warning to anyone who dares to spend big to climb the ladder. It’s a system that protects the incumbents.

Tom Banks

But it aims to ensure clubs are run responsibly and don't spend beyond their means, which protects their long-term health. The impact is that clubs now have two crunch periods to manage: one for financial compliance and one for squad building. It certainly complicates their strategy.

Tom Banks

Looking ahead, some analysts believe financial regulations are making the league more egalitarian. The financial gap between the richest and the poorest clubs has actually narrowed to a level not seen since the late '90s. It seems Financial Fair Play is, to some extent, working as intended.

Mask

'Egalitarian' is a dangerous word. It often leads to a regression to the mean. It might create more competition in the mid-table, but it can also stifle the kind of moonshot investments that produce legendary teams. We should be encouraging ambition, not capping it for the sake of artificial parity.

Tom Banks

That's the end of today's discussion. The new 7 p.m. deadline is a major shift, balancing staff welfare against the high-stakes drama of the transfer window. Thank you for listening to Goose Pod.

Mask

We'll see you tomorrow. The question remains: are we building a healthier league, or just a less interesting one?

## Summer Transfer Window 2025: Earlier Deadline and Record Spending **Report Provider:** footballlondon **Author:** Josh Holland **Date:** Published August 31, 2025 This report details significant changes to the 2025 summer transfer window, including an earlier closing time for Premier League and EFL clubs, and highlights record-breaking spending by these clubs. ### Key Changes to the Transfer Window: * **Earlier Closing Time:** The summer transfer window for Premier League and EFL clubs will now close at **7pm BST on Monday, September 1, 2025**. * **Grace Period:** Clubs will have a two-hour grace period until 9pm BST to finalize deals, provided all paperwork is submitted to the Football Association (FA) by the 7pm deadline. * **International Alignment:** This earlier closure aligns with the deadlines in **La Liga, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, and Serie A**, which will all shut simultaneously. * **Historical Shift:** This is a departure from the traditional 11pm BST closing time, a change agreed upon by the FA, Premier League, and EFL to promote more "normal working patterns" for staff. * **Exceptions:** * Scotland's transfer window will remain open until **11pm**. * FIFA's international transfer deadline remains unchanged at **midnight**. * Saudi Arabia's transfer window will stay open until **Wednesday, October 8**. ### Record-Breaking Spending in the Summer Transfer Window: * **Total Expenditure:** Premier League clubs have already spent a record-breaking **£2.6 billion** this summer, with a week still remaining in the window at the time of reporting. * **Previous Records:** * Last year's spending concluded at **£2.1 billion**. * The previous record was set in the **2023/24 season** with **£2.5 billion**. * **Spending Breakdown:** * A significant **£1.4 billion** has been invested in forwards. * This represents approximately **£850 million more** than the amount spent on defenders. ### Notable Club Activity and Potential Transfers: * **Arsenal:** * Already secured the signing of **Eberechi Eze**. * Expected to sign **Piero Hincapié**. * Players who could potentially leave include **Jakub Kiwior, Reiss Nelson, Fabio Vieira, and Oleksandr Zinchenko**. * **Chelsea:** * Confirmed the signing of **Alejandro Garnacho** from Manchester United. * Could bring in **Fermin Lopez and Conrad Harder** before the deadline. * Players linked with leaving include **Nicolas Jackson, Tyrique George, and Wesley Fofana**. * **Tottenham Hotspur (Spurs):** * Announced the arrival of **Xavi Simons**. * Players linked with moves to Spurs include **Lucas Paqueta, Ademola Lookman, and Kobbie Mainoo**. * Players who could potentially depart include **Yves Bissouma, Bryan Gil, and Manor Solomon**. ### Context for the Transfer Window Split: The summer transfer window was divided into two parts this year due to FIFA's rules, which limit transfer windows to a maximum of 16 weeks per calendar year. * **First Phase:** Ran from **June 1 to June 10**. * **Reason for Split:** To allow teams participating in the Club World Cup (which began on June 15) to sign players before the tournament. * **Second Phase:** Reopened on **Monday, June 16**. ### Promotional Offer: The article mentions a special transfer deadline day offer for Alasdair Gold's exclusive Substack newsletter, providing a 70% discount on annual subscriptions for behind-the-scenes insight and transfer news.

Read original at footballlondon →

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 after 7pm 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.

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 article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it.

Learn more 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. We have a special transfer deadline day offer for Alasdair Gold's exclusive Substack newsletter. Sign up before the transfer window shuts for 70% off the cost of an annual subscription. You'll receive behind the scenes insight and exclusive tidbits of information on transfers, life at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and more as an exciting new era under Thomas Frank gets under way.

Our Spurs writer will send a weekly newsletter into your inboxes - don't miss out on this special offer. Sign up here 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.Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.