When does the 2024 summer transfer window open?

Fans, managers and club executives fall for it every other year. In a summer graced by an international tournament, the players that light up the competition invariably command moves that would have seemed incomprehensible a few weeks earlier.

Even Manchester United's legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson has succumbed to the hype. "I was always wary of buying players on the back of good tournament performances," said the man who signed Karol Poborsky after Euro '96. "Sometimes, players get themselves motivated and prepared for World Cups and European Championships and, after that, there can be a levelling-off."

Both halves of the hemisphere have a continental competition to enjoy this summer, with Euro 2024 overlapping with its South American equivalent, the Copa America.

Here's everything you need to know about when the transfer window opens this summer, allowing clubs to get sucked in by a handful of promising performances.

When does the 2024 summer transfer window open?

The Premier League has announced when the transfer frenzy will begin, with their summer window opening on Friday 14 June - the same day as Euro 2024 begins. Players are free to move clubs for the next two-and-a-half months, with the window slamming shut at 23:00 BST on Friday 30 August - 13 days after the league season begins. The EFL will follow the same timeline.

The Premier League's European counterparts open their transfer windows a little later, with La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A and Ligue 1 all kicking things off on Monday 1 July.

While there's a discrepancy between the Premier League and the rest of Europe's opening dates, the top five leagues across the continent have agreed that the window will slam shut on the same day. As the Premier League revealed in a statement last year, the synced calendars were agreed upon "to ensure harmonisation".

However, the Saudi Pro League weren't involved in those discussions. Only England's top flight spent more than the Kingdom's clubs last summer during a window which stretched until 7 September, one week later than standard practice on the continent.

Jurgen Klopp will have left his post as Liverpool manager by the time the window opens but was deeply unhappy with the Saudi schedule last summer. "UEFA or FIFA must find solutions for that," he growled. It remains to be seen whether Klopp's gripes have been addressed this year with the Pro League yet to announce its window dates.

2024 summer transfer window dates

What if a player signs before the summer transfer window opens?

Clubs don't have to wait until the transfer window officially opens to make their moves, with much of the groundwork and - in some cases - official confirmation done beforehand. Some clubs confirmed deals for the summer as far back as January.

However, new additions won't be able to play for their new clubs until the transfer window opens.

If a player is to become a free agent in July, they can agree a move to their next club but that deal won't be rubber-stamped until their previous contract expires.

Which players could move in the summer?

A whole host of Europe's stars both young and old will be on the move this summer, with many leaving their current clubs for free. The most high-profile name who is on the move this summer is Kylian Mbappe, who finally brought an end to his flirting with Real Madrid when his free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain was officially confirmed.

He's not the only out-of-contract superstar, however, with the likes of Raphael Varane, Thiago Silva and Thiago Alcantara all on the move from Premier League giants.

World-class strikers are expected to be hot property this summer, with Victor Osimhen almost certain to make a lucrative Napoli exit. A fee could be well over €100m despite the Italian side's struggles this term, with Premier League big-spenders Chelsea among the interested parties. Several other high-profile forwards could be on the move, including Viktor Gyokeres, Benjamin Sesko and Dusan Vlahovic.

Ivan Toney is another name to watch out for, while Crystal Palace could struggle to retain their two stars, Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze. Premier League title hopefuls Arsenal are poised to be one of several busy clubs this summer, with the Gunners needing one or two high-profile additions in order to usurp Manchester City. Bruno Guimaraes and the aforementioned Sesko are believed to be among their targets.

Barcelona face a summer of potential change and a number of their stars have been linked with exits. Frenkie de Jong is always a name bandied about during the transfer season. Ronaldo Araujo is unlikely to depart, but the futures of Jules Kounde, Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski appear more uncertain.

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