Transfer deadline day 2026 – what can we learn from it?

There's never a dull moment when it comes to Premier League transfer deadline day. Throughout the years, we've seen everything, from last-minute helicopter dashes and broken fax machines scuppering a deal!

We thought we'd take a look at some of the biggest transfer fails from the past, and in recent deadline day history, and discover what you can learn from them.

When is the next transfer window?

The winter transfer window closes on 2 February 2026 at 19:00. The 2026 summer transfer window will open on Monday 15 June and close on Monday 31 August for Premier League, EFL and Scottish Premiership clubs.

1. You won't like everything at school but don't do an Isak!

The Alexander Isak saga was the talk of the last summer transfer window. Liverpool eventually agreed a British transfer record fee of £125m to sign the striker from Newcastle United.

Things reportedly got so bad with the Swede that he refused to train or play for Newcastle after the Magpies initially rejected a bid of £110 million from Liverpool. According to reports, the relationship between Isak and the Newcastle boss Eddie Howe got very difficult.

If you clash with one of your teachers at school, then check out our School Essentials guide about dealing with subjects you don't like. Teacher, Chloe Vethamony told us that you should remain positive and stay polite to people. She said, "Maybe that teacher doesn’t realise that their teaching style isn't working for you… keeping calm and reaching out to a trusted adult is best to find a speedy resolution.

Since moving, Isak has had a disappointing season at Liverpool, breaking his leg in December against Spurs.

2. Keep your options open like Marc Guéhi

It's important that you keep your options open when making big decisions, like choosing your GCSE or SQA options. Take the example of Marc Guéhi, who was reportedly due to join Liverpool from Crystal Palace in the summer window, Guéhi had gone so far as to have a medical with Liverpool, but the transfer fell through at the last minute. But there was a plot twist in the winter window when Man City swooped in for the England international beating Liverpool to the defenders signature in a cut price deal worth an initial £20m. Guéhi certainly kept his options open, and didn't let a setback stop him from making his move.

If you are choosing your options this year, then you can use our Ultimate Options Guide to find out more information about some of the most popular subjects on offer before making your decision.

3. Don't be like Odemwingie – plan ahead!

Plans change, as former West Brom striker Peter Odemwingie found out back on transfer deadline day 2013, when he turned up at QPR's training ground to work out the final details of his transfer to the London club despite not having permission from West Brom. But QPR's transfer plans had changed whilst Odemwingie was en-route – leaving him sat outside the training ground in his car whilst the world's media looked on. The transfer fell through and Odemwingie was eventually disciplined by his club – eep!

Although plans do change, you can help minimise the impact of those changes by planning ahead when you are trying to meet deadlines. You can do this by creating a weekly homework plan which will help you to make sure all your homework's completed by the time it’s due in. First, you’ll need to work out which days and times are going to be available for you to complete your work. Next, look at the due dates, and prioritise the pieces of homework that are due first. Finally, begin to fill in other pieces of homework that you know about, and be prepared to add to your plan as the week goes on.

The same advice applies to exam revision. Our Mindset student Baxter used a timetable to help break down his subjects when revising. He found that focusing on one topic at a time rather than multiple subjects at once helped him better manage his time. But it’s important that your revision timetable is personalised to you.

4. Give yourself a buffer to avoid being like Benjani

Back in 2008, Benjani Mwaruwari was set to sign for Man City but, according to his former boss Harry Redknapp, Benjani fell asleep whilst he was in the airport and missed his flight! The next flight was cancelled and the final flight of the day was delayed, but luckily he managed to get to Manchester 45 minutes before the deadline and he signed on the dotted line for City.

So what can we learn from Benjani's almost-fail? Wherever possible, build a bit of a buffer into your plan! For example, if an assignment is due in on a Thursday, aim to complete it by Monday or Tuesday. This means if something comes up unexpectedly, and you’re unable to complete your task on the day you originally planned, you should still be able to get it done on time.

5. Don't cram like Liverpool

In the last transfer window season, Premiership champions Liverpool spent over £400 million on several new players – a huge squad overhaul in just one season. Liverpool were essentially 'cramming' and hasn't worked so far – Liverpool are now battling for the top four, when they should be aiming to defend their title. Successful teams are usually built over the course of a couple of transfer windows, as Liverpool proved when they signed defender Virgil Van Dijk in December 2017, and goalkeeper Alisson in July 2018 before going on to win the Champions League in May 2019 and the Premier league in June 2020.

Just like building a great football team, a great way to make sure you get your homework or revision done on time, whilst actually maximising your learning, is to space it out. In our Study Smart series, learning scientist, Dr Carolina Kuepper-Tetzel, told us that instead of cramming all your studying into one very stressful last-minute study session, you should plan several, shorter study sessions over the weeks and months leading up to your exams.

This approach not only has the benefit of being way less stressful, but it also lets you keep your knowledge up-to-date because you revise the material as you go.

We've got plenty more tips to help keep organised whilst studying in our study skills pages, so if you've found our tips useful, why not head over there for loads more?

If you need support

You should always tell someone about the things you’re worried about. You can tell a friend, parent, guardian, teacher, or another trusted adult. If you're struggling with your mental health, going to your GP can be a good place to start to find help. Your GP can let you know what support is available to you, suggest different types of treatment and offer regular check-ups to see how you’re doing.

If you’re in need of in-the-moment support you can contact Childline, where you can speak to a counsellor. Their lines are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

There are more links to helpful organisations on the BBC Bitesize Action Line page for young people.