Transfer Deadline Day - when January window shuts and how deal sheets work

Transfer Deadline Day has finally arrived after a long January with not a huge amount of deals being struck across the Premier League, Championship and the rest of the football leagues.

There have been some big spenders and marquee signings but Financial Fair Play restrictions continue to cause concern for previously free-spending owners at some of the country's biggest outfits. Nonetheless, Deadline Day always provides its dramas and last-gasp moves, which are sure to feature once again on Thursday.

NationalWorld has all you need to know about when the window closes and how those pesky deal sheets work.

When does the January transfer window close?

The transfer deadline for men's sides in England is on Thursday, February 1 at 11 pm GMT. This applies to the Premier League, Championship, League One and League Two clubs.

While that is the official time that the transfer market shuts, deals can still be announced by clubs in the hours and even days that follow. The 11 pm deadline is the official hour by which paperwork must be submitted behind the scenes.

There are different transfer deadlines across the world. Scotland will shut its window at 11:30 pm while La Liga in Spain operates at the same time as the Premier League. French clubs in Ligue 1 have until 10 pm GMT, German clubs in the Bundesliga until 5 pm GMT and Italian clubs in the Serie A until 6 pm GMT.

How do transfer deal sheets work?

While it's been somewhat of a quiet January transfer window, there will no doubt be talk of a transfer deal sheet on Thursday evening as the market draws to a close. These vital pieces of paperwork allow clubs to finalise deals after 11 pm.

A deal sheet is a form which is filled out to inform the relevant bodies that negotiations have concluded and a deal agreed between two clubs. It is used when the bones of a deal are sorted but the remaining documents are being finalised and signed off.

The deal sheet can only be used in the two hours before the deadline and must be received by the league before 11 pm. Once accepted, clubs are granted an extra two hours after the deadline to send the last pieces of paperwork over.

How can Premier League and Championship clubs complete deals after the window shuts?

Football clubs in England can also sign new players anytime after the transfer window closes. However, this does not apply to players bought or loaned from another club.

Any player without a contract, who is therefore a free agent, can sign for a club at any time in the season. For these deals, the opening and closure of the transfer window are not relevant.

There is also nothing stopping football clubs from entering negotiations and agreeing on transfers for players ahead of the summer window. These can even be announced publicly but the player involved will only complete the move when the window is open once again.