The end of the January transfer window is now just a matter of days away and Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur will be working tirelessly to try and bolster their respective squads ahead of the remainder of the Premier League campaign.
Time and time again, so many deals, whether it be due to a hitch over the transfer fee, a snag with the medical or agents getting too involved, deals tend to run far too close to the deadline, leaving managers and chairmen tearing their hair out as to whether or not the deals will be concluded.
But whilst the transfer window for both clubs in both the Premier League and Championship will close at 11pm on Friday, clubs that are planning to show off their new recruits to their supporters this weekend must work a little quicker.
Premier League rules state that a deal must be signed off and completed by 12 noon on Friday, 11 hours before the deadline, meaning any late-night deadline day additions would not be allowed to make their debut for their new club until the following week.
Premier League and EFL rules stipulate that new players must be registered by 12pm on the last working day before the match in question, meaning whether a club is in action on Saturday or Sunday this weekend, the deal must be concluded by 12 noon on Friday.
Arsenal and Tottenham both play on Sunday, but would not be able to name new signings in their squad if they are signed after midday on Friday.
Meanwhile, two games take place in the Championship on Friday night.
That means those four clubs in action, should they make any new additions before the window shuts, would have to be registered by 12 noon on Thursday if they were hopeful of making their debut for their new club on Friday evening.
