Transfer deals and big-money moves continue to capture the imagination of football fans and the rumour mill cranks into overdrive when the transfer windows open.
There are two windows each season in which clubs are permitted to get deals done and swap personnel, with the final hours of those periods often producing drama.
The second transfer window of the 2021-22 season is coming up for Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A and Ligue 1 clubs. GOAL brings you everything you need to know.
When does the January transfer window 2022 open?
The 2022 January transfer window opens at the beginning of the month and closes at the end of the month. However, the exact dates vary from league to league.
In England, Premier League clubs will be able to complete transfer business for the entire month, from January 1, 2022 until the end of January 31, 2022. That time frame applies to all clubs in England, including the Championship, League One and League Two.
The January transfer window also opens on January 1, 2022 for clubs in Germany and France, meaning we can see deals being done in the Bundesliga and Ligue 1 at the turn of the year.
Things get started slightly later in Spain and Italy, with the transfer registration period in La Liga and Serie A opening on January 3, 2022.
When does the January transfer window 2022 close?
January 31, 2022 is the closing date for the 2022 January transfer window in the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and Ligue 1.
The registration period ends at 11pm GMT in the UK (6pm ET).
You can see the January transfer window opening and closing dates below.
League | Transfer window opens | Transfer window closes |
|---|---|---|
Premier League | January 1, 2022 | January 31, 2022 |
La Liga | January 3, 2022 | January 31, 2022 |
Serie A | January 3, 2022 | January 31, 2022 |
Bundesliga | January 1, 2022 | January 31, 2022 |
Ligue 1 | January 1, 2022 | January 31, 2022 |
What transfers can be done?
The transfer window - officially known by FIFA as a 'registration period' - is a part of the football calendar in which clubs are able to complete transfers of players, including temporary loan deals.
It is also the period when free agents can be officially registered to play in competitive games for a team, if they had been signed outside of a transfer window. This applies to Dani Alves, for example, who put pen to paper on a contract with Barcelona in November 2021, but can only officially play from January 3, 2022, when the transfer window opens in Spain.
Which players were on the move in January 2022?
January can be a quiet period in terms of transfer activity in the top leagues, but there was plenty of activity as certain clubs strengthened as players attempted to get more game time.
One of the highest profile potential transfer moves involved Manchester City and Barcelona, with Spain international Ferran Torres making the switch to Camp Nou while Manchester United's Anthony Martial completed a move to Sevilla on a loan deal.
All eyes were on Newcastle following the Premier League club's acquisition by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and Eddie Howe is expected to be given what is euphemistically called a 'transfer war chest' in order to claw the club out of a relegation battle – and delivered with the signing of Kieran Trippier from Atletico Madrid.
A number of high-profile players will be entering the final six months of their contracts in January and it is possible that their clubs will look to cash in before losing talent on a free.
Among those who will have suitors circling in January are Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe, Barcelona's Ousmane Dembele and Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba. However, unless big-money bids are placed, it seems likely that those particular players will not be going anywhere half-way through the season.