When does transfer window close in Scotland? How late can Rangers, Celtic, Hearts and rivals complete signings?
Everything you need to know about the Scottish Premiership transfer deadline, including how a ‘deal sheet’ works on deadline day.
The transfer deadline is fast approaching in the Scottish Premiership, and plenty of clubs are still hoping to put together some last-minute business.
Rangers are in the market for a striker, with Ryan Naderi, Cameron Archer, and Joel Piroe all linked with moves to Ibrox over the weekend. Celtic would like some firepower added too, with manager Martin O’Neill desperate to add to the addition of Tomas Cvancara, who arrived on a loan until the end of the season from Borussia Monchengladbach a fortnight ago.
League leaders Hearts have done a lot of their work early, but have they got some surprises up their sleeves in the final throes of the window, and will Hibs opt to splash the cash after landing £7million for Scotland international Kieron Bowie on Friday night? Aberdeen have become more active in the last week, but do they still have more to add?
There are bags of deals still on the agenda across the country with just hours left in the window, and there’s certain to be twists and turns leading up to the final day. But when does the summer transfer window officially slam shut?
Here’s everything you need to know about the Scottish Premiership transfer window, when the deadline is, and how a deal sheet works for the latest of late transfers:
When does the Scottish Premiership transfer window close?
The Scottish Premiership transfer window officially closes on Monday, 2 February 2026 at 11pm. Unlike the English Premier League, whose window closes at an earlier time of 7pm, clubs in Scotland are able to complete deals right up until an hour before midnight tomorrow. This is slightly earlier than some transfer windows of the past, which have often ended at midnight.
What is a transfer deal sheet, and how late can a club make transfers?
While the transfer deadline officially ends at 11pm on February 2, clubs are able to make deals after the window in some instances. To be able to do deals after the deadline, a club must submit what is called a ‘deal sheet’ to the league.
Essentially, this means if a deal is struck between two clubs late in the day, additional time can be requested. If agreed to by the Scottish FA, clubs will then be given time to submit relevant documentation and paperwork. This can be sent to the authorities to indicate that the transfer agreement has been reached. This gives clubs an additional two hours to complete all remaining paperwork that would conclude the deal.
Other examples of deals being able to be completed after the window are as follows:
League agreements: Clubs are able to agree transfer with teams from other leagues that have closed transfer windows, and then complete the deals once their own window opens
Free agents: The first exception is that of free agents. If a player is without a club and available as a free agent, clubs in Scotland are able to sign and register the player without an exception.
Emergency deals: If a team requests to sign a player on an emergency basis, special dispensation could be granted to sign player outwith the transfer window. The most obvious example of this is if a team has multiple goalkeepers injured, a team may be allowed to make an emergency loan.
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