When is January transfer deadline day? Everything you need to know about the winter window

Barely 12 hours into the January transfer window, there was already one significant and unexpected mover in the Premier League, albeit in the managerial sense as Enzo Maresca extraordinarily departed Chelsea after 18 months in the role.

Transfers allegedly played a big role in Maresca's gripes with the board - the Italian wanted more control over incomings and outgoings, whereas the powers-that-be are not willing to compromise on their firm recruitment structure.

Whoever takes charge of the Blues will soon navigate the notoriously challenging winter market, in which some clubs desperately seek injury cover, some attempt to fast-track deals they had pencilled in for the summer, and some players desperately vie for a switch elsewhere in their hopes of earning a World Cup ticket.

Here, Sports Mole runs through everything you need to know about the January transfer window, including the much-anticipated deadline day.

When did the 2026 winter transfer window open and when does it close?

The 2026 winter transfer window officially opened for business at midnight on Thursday, January 1, and clubs have just over a month to either bolster their ranks or trim their wage bills.

The market will slam shut at 7pm GMT on Monday, February 2, but clubs should be granted an additional two hours to get signings over the line if they have submitted deal sheets to the Premier League in time.

Why is transfer deadline day in February, not January?

The 2026 winter transfer window closes in early February due to the last day of January - the 31st - falling on a Saturday.

When is January transfer deadline day across Europe?

In all of England, Scotland, France, Spain, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands, transfer deadline day also falls on February 2.

However, the window shuts one day later in Portugal, while teams in Greece and Turkey can still sign players until Friday, February 6.

What are the biggest deals that could be done in the January transfer window?

Now that 2026 has officially rolled around, Antoine Semenyo's £65m Bournemouth release clause has kicked in, and it is seemingly only a matter of time before the Ghanaian attacker is unveiled as a Manchester City player.

Semenyo's marquee move to the Etihad could trigger the exit of at least one current Citizens attacker - Oscar Bobb is apparently in talks with Borussia Dortmund, while Savinho and Omar Marmoush are rumoured to have caught Tottenham Hotspur's eye.

One of the aforementioned duo could potentially replace Brennan Johnson, who is edging closer to a £35m move to Crystal Palace, where he may or may not link up with Jean-Philippe Mateta.

The Frenchman is said to be on the radar of Manchester United, who could offload Joshua Zirkzee to Roma in the coming weeks, but Kobbie Mainoo is expected to stay put.

Marc Guehi's Palace future is somewhat set in stone - he will leave at some point in 2026 - but whether that is in in the summer as a free agent or in January for a cut-price fee is another question entirely.

Liverpool's name has inevitably been mentioned, but the Reds are instead rumoured to be closing in on another defensive arrival - Joel Ordonez of Club Brugge.