When it comes to sports news, football often dominates the headlines. And it doesn’t come bigger than the summer transfer window. For 2-3 months every summer, clubs across the UK and Europe have the chance to buy and sell players in preparation for the coming season.
The transfer window, or “registration period” as it’s officially known by FIFA, runs from mid-May to August in England; July to September in France, Germany and Spain; June to mid-August in Italy; and June to September in several other countries, including Scotland and the Netherlands.
With just a matter of weeks to offload unwanted players and sign potential new stars, it’s fair to say there’s plenty of action up and down the leagues. Already in the 2019 summer transfer window, we’ve seen Eden Hazard moving to Real Madrid, Manchester United swooping to sign Swansea’s Daniel James for £15 million and West Ham bringing in Pablo Fornals from Villarreal.
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. There’s plenty more to come in the coming weeks. The question is – how do you keep up with all the comings and goings?
Social media
Long gone are the days where you had to wait for the morning ‘papers to see if your club has kept hold of their star player or added a new player to the ranks. Nowadays, it’s all about social media. Sites like Twitter are often the first port of call for clubs that want to announce their new signings.
So much so, in fact, that ‘unveiling videos’ have become a must-have, especially for bigger clubs, to spread the word about their latest arrival. These videos range from the simple and understated to the bizarre and unnecessary. Who can forget Manchester United’s unveiling of Alexis Sanchez playing the piano – only to find out that his musical ability was far greater than his footballing talents?
Aside from the clubs themselves, you’ll find a wide range of football journalists on social media, keen to share everything they know about potential comings and goings. In many cases, their leaks come a few days before the official confirmation, so you can be ahead of the curve if you find some trusty sources.
Transfer centre
Another great place to keep track of all the summer transfers is the Sky Sports Transfer Centre. Sky Sports prides itself on 24-hour coverage of deadline day – the final day of transfers in England. Their coverage throughout the transfer window takes a similar approach, with constant updates on confirmed transfers, new bids and even tasty rumours.
You can find all of this and more collated in their Transfer Centre. The site includes a live feed with minute by minute updates of all the latest transfer news. That’s not restricted to the elite teams either. From Premier League Champions, Manchester City to League Two newcomers, Leyton Orient, you’ll find all the transfer news you need in one place.
News, views and transfers
Of course, we can’t talk about football transfers without mentioning This Is Futbol. As well as all the latest football news and views, we have our very own Transfers section, dedicated to comings and goings across different countries and leagues.
Whether it’s Eriksen’s potential departure from Tottenham or Manchester United’s pursuit of Jordan Pickford, we’ll keep you in the know. So, sit back, relax and watch the transfers roll in.