More often than not, transfer deadline day in England produces some drama.
In years gone by and as the clocked ticked down, there has been tension surrounding a number of deals.
Just last summer, the deadline had to be extended so that Danny Welbeck could conclude his switch to Arsenal, while confirmation that Radamel Falcao had replaced him at Old Trafford came even later.
However, there is no move that tested the boundaries as much as the one that took Andrei Arshavin to Arsenal back in the winter of 2009.
It was reported during the 2008 pre-season break that the Gunners had held discussions with Zenit St Petersburg regarding the playmaker's availability, but no agreement could be reached.
More talks, which on this occasion were more positive, took place during the January window, with Arshavin flying to London 24 hours before the switch had to be concluded.
Yet, as the 5pm deadline came and went six years ago today, there was still no official word as to whether Arshavin had become an Arsenal player or not.
It was suggested that the snow in London had slowed down the process and so, with an extension granted by the Premier League, the North Londoners finally secured the Russian international's services for a reported £16.9m, which made Arshavin a club-record signing.
"I am so happy to be joining Arsenal. They are one of the leading football clubs in the world, with a group of fantastic young players and a great manager. I am looking forward to making the Arsenal supporters happy and helping this great club win trophies," said Arsenal's new number 23.
Meanwhile, his manager Arsenal Wenger added: "We are delighted to have signed Andrei Arshavin, he is a player I have admired for a long time. He is a versatile player with great experience, who will add real quality to our squad.
"Andrei is an exciting impact player with a huge amount of ability and has been an influential force with both Zenit St Petersburg and the Russian national team in recent seasons."
His start to life at the Emirates Stadium was a positive one as he helped the club to overhaul Aston Villa and finish in the Champions League places.
Twelve goals followed in all competitions during the following campaign, but Arshavin, who is best remembered for his four-goal haul at Anfield not long after his arrival, soon started to struggle for form and fitness.
He eventually returned to Zenit on loan in March 2012 - a move that he made permanent in June 2013, having scored 31 goals in 143 Arsenal outings.
Liam Apicella
