Football clubs have two months in the summer to strengthen their squads for the 2025/26 season. When does the transfer window open and close in the Bundesliga and elsewhere?
Football clubs around the world are busy planning for the new 2025/26 season. Every day there are player transfers, departures and lots of rumours. And now the transfer window is opening again.
When does the transfer window open?
In Germany, players can be signed again starting this Tuesday, July 1, when a number of contracts that were valid until June 30 expire. The transfer window also opens on July 1 in Italy and Spain. England and France are exceptions, however, where transfers have been possible since June 16.
When does the transfer window close?
This year, the transfer period will once again end with the so-called “Deadline Day,” by which time all transfers must be completed. The deadline is September 1 at 8 p.m. This is usually based on the deadline for registering players for European competitions, which ends on September 2. After “Deadline Day,” only players without a club can be signed in Germany.
However, another attempt to close the transfer window before the start of the national championship has failed. This means that transfers will still be possible after the first games of the season this year. This also applies to the other top five leagues in Europe, which also allow transfers until September 1 and are already back in action at that point. There is a small change in the Premier League: this time, the window closes at 7 p.m. German time, not midnight.
As always, transfers to other countries are still possible in some cases after this date. In Austria, transfers can be completed until September 6, in Switzerland until September 9, and in Turkey until September 12. The transfer window in Saudi Arabia closes on September 3.
How does the Club World Cup affect the transfer window?
There was a special feature this year due to the Club World Cup being held in a new format for the first time. FIFA introduced the option for national associations with one or more clubs participating in the USA to set up a special window. As a result, there was an additional transfer period from June 1 to June 10 in Germany, England, Italy, and Spain, among other countries.
Incidentally, players cannot play for more than one team in the Club World Cup. If a contract normally expires on June 30, no player can play for one club until that date and then for another club from July 1. In addition, up to six players may be replaced in the squad list during the tournament between June 27 and July 3.
