When is transfer deadline day? What time does the window shut, when can clubs buy and sell players until

The premier League transfer window closes three weeks earlier than normal

For the first time in history, the Premier League transfer window will shut before the new season begins, preventing clubs from making any emergency signings if they make a sluggish start to the season.

After Premier League clubs voted 17-3 in favour of closing the transfer window early, teams have until just 17:00 this Thursday to complete any last-minute business, giving them three weeks fewer than what they are used to in the summer window.

Teams like Liverpool and Arsenal have countered that by completing their transfer business early, but for the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and many more, a series of sleepless nights lay ahead.

Here’s everything you need to know about deadline day.

When is it?

The summer transfer window closes at 17:00 BST on Thursday 9 August.

Why does it close early?

A number of managers voiced their displeasure at seeing squad unsettled by transfer speculation once the season had begun, with players having their heads turned by potential moves that failed to materialise. Past examples includes David De Gea’s failed move to Real Madrid in 2015 and Alexis Sanchez’s will-he-won’t-he saga with Manchester City last summer.

With that in mind, the Premier League voted in favour of closing the window the day before the opening game of the season, and given this year’s schedule opening on Friday night in the form of Manchester United vs Leicester City, the decision was taken to shut it on Thursday evening.

So everyone’s happy?

Not in the slightest. A point that was raised at the time of the discussions about an early closure was that unless the rest of Europe closed their window at the same time, the Premier League was leaving itself exposed.

The fear is alarmingly close to being realised and managers are now speaking out that the change was a mistake – not least Tottenham’s Mauricio Pochettino and Manchester United’s Jose Mourinho. Clubs such as Chelsea are braced for potential raids after the window, should Thibaut Courtois’ future fail to be finalised by the end of this week, and with the expectation being that the Belgium international is on the move, the Blues would be left without the chance to sign a replacement unless they bring in a player before the window shuts here.

It gives European clubs three weeks to take aim at Premier League sides and plunder the best and worst that the English top flight has to offer.

Mourinho has proven an unhappy figure this transfer window (Getty)

What about the EFL?

Clubs in the Championship, League One and League Two will all have to adhere to the same transfer window that the Premier League has agreed, so while they all kicked off last weekend, clubs still have until 17:00 on Thursday to complete any late business.

But with squad registration open until the end of the month, clubs can still sign free agents until 31 August as well as players on loan.

What about the rest of Europe?

We could still see another transfer stand-off like Diego Costa's last year (Getty) (Getty Images)

Italy have agreed a similar measure to the Premier League, but with the Serie A not due to get underway until Sunday 19 August, they will still be able to sign players until Saturday of that weekend.

The rest of Europe is free to sign players until 23:00 on Friday 31 August as usual, meaning transfer sagas like Atletico’s pursuit of Diego Costa last season and Barcelona’s interest in Philippe Coutinho could still materialise to cause managers the same early-season headache that they hoped to avoid.