What time does the January transfer window close tonight, and when can new signings play? Here’s all you need to know
SunSport gives you the lowdown on when football clubs need to have their business done tonight
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TRANSFER deadline day is here and football clubs around the world have just hours to sign new players.
Once the January window slams shut, all sides will be forced to stick with the squads they have got as they battle on towards the end of the season.
When does the 2017 January transfer window shut?
Clubs in Britain have until 11pm TONIGHT (Tuesday 31 January) to get their business done.
The window closes at the same time across Europe, meaning a midnight finish on mainland Europe.
In some cases, clubs can complete transfers after the 11pm deadline but they must submit a 'deal sheet' to the relevant football associations asking for more time to complete the paperwork.
This extension runs out at 1am.
Where can I follow news and transfers on Deadline Day?
You can get up-to-the-minute updates right here on Sun Sports.
Just head over to our January transfer window live blog.
When are Deadline Day signings eligible to play?
Under Premier League rules, any players who are signed before midday the day before a match are eligible to play for their new clubs.
There are seven Premier League matches being played tonight (Tuesday 31 January), and for any new signings to make their debuts in those matches they would have needed to have been signed by noon yesterday (Monday 30 January).
Six teams are in action tomorrow (Wednesday 1 February), and for any of them to field new players their deals must have been completed and registered by midday today.
How much did Premier League clubs spend in the summer transfer window?
The top flight in England is the richest in the world, awash with money from their new £5.2bn television deal which kicked in this year.
And they couldn't resist splashing the cash in a big way with just short of £1.2billion being spent by Premier League clubs on players over the three month window - a world record.
How much can we expect to be spent in this January window?
Clubs find it much harder to do a deal for players in the middle of the season because many don't want to sell their best talent.
The current record spend in the month for the Premier League is £225m back in 2011 - and in 2016 £175m was splashed out across the division.
Often the biggest spenders are clubs battling to avoid relegation, with Newcastle, Norwich and Watford paying the most last season.
