Deal sheets explained: How Sunderland can secure deadline day transfer extension

The summer transfer window has entered its last few frantic hours, and for Sunderland and their rivals, time is rapidly running out if they are to complete any further business.

But should a deal go right down to the wire, there is still a way that those clubs involved can secure an extension - and a chance to get it over the line. Deal sheets are often a topic of much discussion as the deadline looms larger and larger, but what are they, and how do they work? Here’s everything you need to know...

When does the 2026 summer transfer window close?

This year’s summer transfer window has been open for business since Monday, June 15th, and will officially close on Tuesday, September 1st. Unlike last year, when business came to an end in the early evening, the current window will return to a later deadline of 11pm.

Can clubs receive extra time to complete transfers?

Yes, they can. A transfer deal sheet allows a club to confirm an agreement has been reached prior to the deadline, granting an additional two hours to complete the rest of the paperwork. For an 11pm deadline, the deal sheet cannot be submitted before 9pm, and must arrive before the window closes. Once lodged, the clubs involved would then have until 1am to finalise the transfer.

What business could Sunderland still need to complete in the latter stages of the transfer window?

At the time of writing, Sunderland still have a couple of potential incomings to secure between now and tonight’s 11pm deadline. An initial loan move for Tottenham Hotspur defender Kevin Danso, with a prospective permanent clause attached, is widely anticipated, while the Black Cats are still on the hunt for a new winger.

Earlier in the day, it had looked as if Malick Fofana would be heading to Wearside, with an agreement reached with both the player and his current club, Lyon. A late swoop from Crystal Palace has seemingly hijacked that transfer, however, with a growing expectation from various sources that the promising talent could now be on his way to South London instead. Sunderland will presumably seek an alternative recruit in a position that ideally needs reinforcing, and to that end, Benfica star Dodi Lukebakio has been touted as a possible option.

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Elsewhere, Sunderland could yet bid farewell to a couple of familiar faces on the fringes of Regis Le Bris’ first team squad. Alan Browne has been heavily linked with a return to Preston North End, who he joined the Black Cats from two years ago, while there remains a possibility that Abdoullah Ba could depart after falling firmly out of favour in the North East.

Meanwhile, it had looked as if Jocelin Ta Bi could be headed to Burnley on loan, only for the Clarets to pull out of the deal at the eleventh hour. It remains to be seen whether Sunderland will now seek an alternative destination for the Ivorian talent, or instead opt to keep him on Wearside.

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