Transfer window Q&A - the options for unsold players

Raheem Sterling (left) and Ben Chilwell (right) are yet to play for Chelsea this season

With the transfer window closing this week, the countdown is on for clubs to get their business done.

Plenty of protracted transfer sagas are likely to end with deals being done, but for every player who gets their move, there are others who will end the window exactly where they started.

After dropping Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell and Trevoh Chalobah from his squad on the opening weekend of the season, Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca is one manager hoping "solutions" can be found this week.

"Hopefully when the transfer window is finished, if they find a solution then hopefully for them it is better. In case they don't find a solution, I do not know, we are going to see," said Maresca.

But what options do clubs have when they fail to offload unwanted players? What happens to players who do not get the move they're seeking? Does the closure of the transfer window end all hope of a resolution?

We take a look at the options on the table.

When does the summer transfer window close?

In England, it's 23:00 BST on 30 August.

Unlike in previous years, when the transfer window closed on the final day of August, Europe's 'top five' leagues - England, Spain, Germany, Italy and France - agreed to close their respective windows on the last weekday - Friday, 30 August.

However, the transfer windows across the top five leagues will close at different times.

The Serie A window closes at 19:00 BST, La Liga's at 23:00 BST, Bundesliga's at 17:00 BST and Ligue 1's at 22:00 BST.

The transfer window in Scotland shuts at the same time as in England.

When does the transfer window reopen?

The transfer window in England will reopen on 1 January 2025 and close on 3 February 2025.

When do Premier League clubs have to register their squads?

If clubs fail to sell an unwanted player, or a player fails to get a move they want, all eyes will be on 13 September.

That's when Premier League clubs must submit a 25-player squad.

The date is after the third round of fixtures and two weeks after the transfer window closes.

Any player that fails to get a move will be hoping to be named in their club's 25-player squad, otherwise they face the prospect of going months without playing first-team football.

Can Premier League players still be sold? When does the transfer window in Saudi Arabia close?

Despite the closure of the transfer window in England on 30 August, clubs can still sell players to countries where it is still open.

For example, the transfer window in Saudi Arabia will close on 6 October, and Turkey's closes on 13 September.

Saudi Arabian clubs went on a spending spree in 2023, signing the likes of Riyad Mahrez, Jordan Henderson and Ruben Neves from Premier League clubs.

Brentford striker Ivan Toney, who has one year left on his contract, has been heavily linked with a move to Saudi Arabia.

The later closing date of the Saudi transfer window is therefore an opportunity for English clubs to sell players, but they are obviously then restricted in terms of finding replacements as the domestic window will be closed.

Can Premier League clubs sign players outside of the transfer window?

Yes. Clubs can sign free agents - players who are not contracted to another club - at any time.

However, unless there is space in a club's registered squad or the player is under the age of 21, new signings must wait until the next registration period before they can play for the club.

Can a player's contract be terminated?

Yes.

Players can have their deals terminated by their clubs if they are in breach of contract - as has been the case in the past with Adam Johnson at Sunderland in 2016 and Adrian Mutu at Chelsea in 2004.

In a more regular occurence, players can be released from their contract after a mutual termination agreement with their clubs.

This was the case when Cristiano Ronaldo left Manchester United in December 2022 following a falling-out with manager Erik ten Hag.

The mutual termination made Ronaldo a free agent and he joined Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr in January 2023.

Do clubs still need to sell to remain compliant with Profit and Sustainability rules?

The Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules have had a significant impact on the transfer dealings of its clubs so far this window.

The rules state clubs cannot lose more than £105m over the course of a three-year period.

In June, there was a flurry of transfer activity from clubs such as Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Chelsea, Nottingham Forest and Everton.

This is because 30 June 2024 marked the end of the financial year in the Premier League, meaning any deals done after that point would not be submitted in a club's accounts for the previous year.

Though that deadline has passed and the Premier League has entered a new financial year, clubs must still remain compliant in order to avoid sanctions.

What are the Premier League rules around under-21 players?

Under Premier League rules, players below the age of 21 do not count towards the 25-player limit for squad registrations.

For the 2024-25 season, under-21 players will have been born or after 1 January 2003.

And what about homegrown players?

Premier League clubs must submit no more than 17 'non-homegrown' players in their 25-man squads.

The Premier League defines a 'homegrown' player as one who "irrespective of nationality or age has been registered" with the club for "a period, continuous or not, of three entire seasons, or 36 months, before his 21st birthday or the end of the season during which he turns 21".

When is the squad registration deadline for the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League?

Any player left out of their club's Premier League squad could be given a lifeline by being named in the club's squad for European competition.

Clubs competing in the Uefa Champions League, Europa League and Conference League must submit their squads for the initial group phase by 23:00 BST on 3 September 2024.

How do Uefa's rules compare to the Premier League's?

They're similar, with a couple of differences.

Like in the Premier League, Uefa requires clubs to submit a 25-man squad - known as 'List A'.

In that squad, eight places must go to 'locally trained' players - those who have been at the club for three years between the ages of 15 and 21 and/or on the club's books for three years between the age of 15 and 21.

Clubs can then add players under the age of 21 to a separate 'List B'.

'List B' can be added to throughout the season if clubs choose to do so, but registrations for 'List A' are closed for the group phase and reopen in January.

If a team reaches the knockout stages of a competition, they can register three new players.

So... what about Chelsea?

Chelsea have been one of the busiest clubs in world football this summer.

The Blues have spent about £200m on new players this summer and recouped about £120m in sales.

But Maresca's squad remains bloated, and a statement released by Sterling's representatives following his omission from the defeat by Manchester City last weekend was an indicator of the difficulty the Italian has with the size of his squad.

"With the squad that we have, I am working with 22, 23 or 21 players - not with the 42 players otherwise it is impossible. It is impossible for any manager in the world to make a session with 45 players. It's impossible. You cannot do that," Maresca said before Chelsea's game against Wolves.

It's clear, then, that the Blues have work to do in order to trim their squad before the window closes.

But the position Chelsea find themselves in is not new. Last summer, the Blues offloaded Romelu Lukaku - on loan to Roma - and Callum Hudson-Odoi - to Nottingham Forest - on deadline day after the pair were told they had no future at Stamford Bridge.

Should Chelsea fail to sell players before the transfer window closes, they may have to utilise one of the above options to reduce the size of their squad.