How Man City and Man Utd can still complete transfers after deadline day has ended

It would be safe to say the January transfer window has not exactly been a hive of activity for Manchester City and Manchester United.

With the final hours of the window slowly ticking away, neither club has really been active in terms of incomings.  For Premier League champions City, there have been two new arrivals after they completed the signings of River Plate youngster Claudio Echeverri and LA Galaxy midfielder Alex Alcala.  There have been departures from the Etihad Stadium with goalkeeper Zak Steffen joining Colorado Rapids on a permanent deal and Kalvin Phillips moving on loan to Premier League rivals West Ham United.  Highly-rated youngster Alfie Harrison has also joined Newcastle in a permanent deal.

United have made no permanent or loan signings but several players have departed Old Trafford on loan deals.  Jadon Sancho moved to former club Borussia Dortmund for the remainder of the season and Donny van de Beek made a similar move to the Bundesliga by joining Eintracht Frankfurt.  Young duo Hannibal Mejbri and Alvaro Fernandez have joined Sevilla and Benfica respectively and Joe Hugill is earning valuable first-team experience at Burton Albion.

With the hours slipping by, the possibility of new additions at City and United seems to be decreasing with every passing second - but both clubs can secure additional time if they do wish to make some last-minute additions to their squads.

When does the January transfer window come to an end?

Unusually, this season’s January transfer window doesn’t actually end in January.  Clubs are able to conclude deals up until midnight on Thursday 1st February - although there is a way to secure extra time to get their last-minute transfers secured!

What is a transfer deal sheet and how is it used?

With several parties involved in any transfer, it is not always possible to get all of the necessary paperwork and the small details of every deal completed by the deadline.  With players, managers, club officials and agents all involved in the increasingly complex world of transfers, the Premier League will allow additional time for clubs to put the finishing touches to deals - but there are guidelines which must be abided to before a deal sheet can be utilised.

Using the example of the current transfer window, a deal sheet can not be used before 10pm on Thursday night and it can not be submitted after the transfer deadline of midnight. The sheet contains full details of the transfer including the clubs involved, a full rundown of the deal including a payment schedule and any additional payments that may take place in future.  This must be completed in full and submitted to the Premier League before a club can be granted another two hours to formally complete the deal.

However, the Premier League website confirms any club completing the transfer of a player from a club outside of England still have to comply with the FIFA Transfer Matching System (TMS) deadline of midnight.