Signing a player on a tight deadline is a complicated process for Premier League clubs, but it can be made much simpler by the use of a deal sheet.
For a player to move from one club to another, a considerable amount of paperwork must be submitted, with plenty of hoops to jump through.
This vast amount of red tape can make it difficult for clubs to push deals through, especially in the frenzy of deadline day as the sand runs through the hourglass.
However, sides are offered a helping hand as the clock ticks down with the aid of a deal sheet.
A deal sheet is a form that, if filled out and submitted, confirms to the Premier League that a deal has been reached between two clubs for the transfer of a player. The details that must be included in it are the names of both clubs, the name of the player being transferred and the fee agreed between the parties.
It must also be specifically stated in the document what the guaranteed sum of money is and what potential add-ons there are.
Once a deal sheet has been received by the Premier League, it gives the clubs in question an extra two hours to complete the formalities of the deal and register the necessary paperwork.
Deal sheets are used specifically on deadline day to prevent clubs from running out of time to complete transfers.
If a deal is reached in the final few hours of a window, there isn’t always enough time to submit all the paperwork required to finalise things, which could have an enormous impact for a team heading into the second half of the season.
For this reason, the Premier League allows clubs to submit a deal sheet in the final two hours before a deadline, and if they do so, they’ll be given additional time to submit the documents required.
However, according to the Premier League, “if a club are looking to complete an international transfer, they still have to comply with the FIFA Transfer Matching System (TMS) deadline of midnight.”
The Premier League’s transfer window slams shut at a different time to some of the other leagues across Europe, closing at 23:00 on 1 February.
That means that if a deal sheet is submitted before the deadline, clubs will have until the latest of 01:00 on 2 February to finalise a transfer.
La Liga’s window also closes at 23:00 GMT, Serie A shuts at 19:00, Bundesliga at 17:00, and Ligue 1 at 22:00.
