Title: Dramatic Deadline Day Closes Summer Transfer Window
Date: September 1, 2021
The summer transfer window is set to close today, marking one of the busiest days in the world of football as clubs scramble to finalize last-minute deals. With varying closing times across Europe, clubs in England, Spain, Italy, Germany, France, and other European countries will conclude their business activities by September 1.
Here are the closing times for some of the major footballing nations:
– Germany: 11 a.m. ET
– Italy: 2 p.m. ET
– France: 5 p.m. ET
– England: 6 p.m. ET
– Spain: 6 p.m. ET
While the transfer deadline is imminent for most clubs, some nations have notable extended windows. Belgium’s transfer window will remain open until September 6, followed by Qatar until September 18 and Saudi Arabia until September 20.
With significant transfer fees already being spent this summer, Chelsea’s acquisition of Moises Caicedo from Brighton and Hove Albion takes the crown as Europe’s most expensive deal, amounting to nearly $146 million. However, there remains a slim chance for this record to be broken, leaving all European clubs at the mercy of potential late swoops from Saudi Arabia’s wealth.
Here are the major deals completed thus far:
– Moises Caicedo (Brighton to Chelsea): $146 million
– Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid): $144 million
– Declan Rice (West Ham United to Arsenal): $133 million
– Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur to Bayern Munich): $127 million
– Neymar (PSG to Al-Hilal): $109 million
Once the transfer window slams shut, clubs in Europe will be prohibited from signing or registering players from other clubs until January 2024. However, free agents can still join new clubs throughout the year as they are not under contract.
Deadline day has become a tradition in football, and we will be here to keep you updated on the latest developments in the final hours of the window across Europe’s major leagues. Stay tuned for potential late surprises as clubs look to finalize their squads.
Looking ahead, the winter 2024 transfer window for Europe is scheduled to open on January 1, 2024, and will run until February 1, 2024.
Please note that the list of major deals will be updated if any deadline day moves break into the current top five completed transfers of the summer transfer window.