The football transfer window is a thrilling period for fans, filled with anticipation that their team will acquire the players needed to achieve their dreams—be it clinching a trophy, securing promotion, or winning a league title.

Teams typically conduct the bulk of their transfer activities during the summer months. This period, lasting approximately two and a half months from mid-June to the end of August, aligns with the off-season, allowing coaches to evaluate and strengthen their squads for the upcoming challenges.

Significant transactions can indeed happen, as exemplified by Barcelona’s £145 million acquisition of Philippe Coutinho in 2018 and Chelsea’s £107 million investment in Enzo Fernandez just a few years back.

In this article, we explore some of the prevalent terminology associated with the transfer window’s bustling activities.

Here, we detail some of the most common vocabulary used during deals that are carried out during the transfer window.

Antoine Semenyo has been the most high-profile transfer this January – here is what some of the most common transfer terms in football mean

Some sizeable fees are paid in January – in 2018, Barcelona forked out £145million for Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool

Transfer

When one players moves from one club to another. It can be on loan, which is a temporary deal, or permanently, which means the player is now contracted to their new club.

A transfer happens after two clubs negotiate a fee – the price – and the player and their new club sort out terms such as wage and length of the deal, plus a number of other things.

Speculation

Usually used when discussing transfer rumours, such as when fans come up with their own theories of what is going on around a potential transfer. 

Contact

Two potential meanings – as a verb, contact means a club have got in touch with another about a potential deal, or the player to organise personal terms.

As a noun, a contact is someone who another person may be on good terms with that may be able to help in a useful way, such as a contact higher up the football pyramid than can help a manager with potential signings from their club. 

Monitoring

No approach has yet been made for a player, but a club is interested in potentially making a move.

Can involve actively a scouting a player or casually keeping tabs on their situation and form.

When a player is being monitored, a club is interested in potentially making a move for a player

Interested in

Similar to monitoring, but further down the line and closer to making a move to complete a transfer.

Initial discussions may have taken place, with the potential new club actively looking to bring in the player.

Approach

Even further along from interest and monitoring. Sometimes called an ‘official approach’, and means the interested club have actively moved to try and sign the player they are interested in, usually making a bid.

Committing future

Normally comes after a player signs a new contract, which means they have chosen to stay at their current club.

Can sometimes happen after interest in a player – who opts to stay put – from another club. 

Made available

Done before a player moves club. Means they are surplus to requirements at their current club, and their club is open to letting them leave if certain demands are met. 

Open to offers

Similar to being made available, but doesn’t necessarily involve a player being added to the transfer list and made available.

Can mean that the player leaving isn’t off the table for a club, but also that they are not necessarily actively looking to offload them.

‘Open to offers’ does not mean a club are actively looking to offload a player, but that they would be open to letting them leave

Bid

An offer for a player has been sent from one club to another with the view of a transfer taking place.

The bid is then accepted or rejected, and clubs can sometimes send multiple bids, increasing in fee or other add-ons, if their previous bid is rejected. 

Fallen through

Comes when a transfer is close to completion, but something causes an issue and it no longer happens – for example, because the window closes before the transfer is completed, or because of a failed medical.

Take Marc Guehi’s potential move to Liverpool in the summer – a transfer fee was agreed, personal terms were organised, but Crystal Palace were unable to find a replacement before the window closed, which meant Guehi’s move to Liverpool fell through.

Out of contract

When a player joins a club, they will sign a contract that ties them to that club for a certain period of time, stating how much they will be paid along with other add-ons.

Sometimes, players will sign new and improved contracts during that time, but, if the time period runs out, it means the player is out of contract.

Past that date, they will not be attached to a club – essentially unemployed – until they sign a new contract somewhere.

Installments

Means a transfer fee is paid over time. Think of it like a mortgage – a certain fee is usually paid up front, then the rest paid in bits and pieces over a period of time.

A signing on fee is something a bonus that a player receives when they sign a contract

Signing on fee

Part of a bonus for a player when they join a new club. A new club may pay, say, £20million for a player, then also pay that player, for example, a £500,000 extra as a fee for joining.

Players usually earn larger signing on fees when they are free agents, due to no transfer fee being involved between two clubs. 

Entered the race

The ‘race’ is competition between clubs to sign a player, when multiple clubs are interested in doing so. When a new club enters the race, they are then interested too.

For example, Liverpool and Arsenal could be interested in signing Cole Palmer, and, if Manchester United ignite interest, they have entered the race. 

Transfer request

Something that is put in by a player when they are looking to leave a club.

Usually comes when their current club has rejected offers for their services, but the player is making it clear they wish to move away.

Undisclosed fee

A transfer fee that is not made public when a player moves clubs.

Common in official statements by clubs who have signed or sold players and do not wish to disclose their finances.

Personal terms are details in a contract that a player signs, such a wage and signing on fee

Personal terms

What a player and a club must agree on for a transfer – or new contract – to take place.

Separate from the two clubs agreeing a fee – essentially the details of the contract that the player will sign. 

Medical

Checks around a player’s fitness, health and well-being that are carried out by a club, usually as one of the last port of calls before the transfer is completed.

Responsible for a number of transfers falling through over the years. 

Release clause

A fee inserted into a contract that means the club are powerless to rejecting an offer from another club if that fee is met in the offer.

A player can still be sold if a lower fee is agreed, but it means a club cannot simply reject every offer.

In some leagues, release clauses are compulsory in contracts.