Winter Transfer Window 2015: Deadline Date, End Time and Top Rumours

The winter transfer window is drawing to a conclusion, which can only mean one thing: it's nearly time for deadline day.

While most of Europe's business concludes on February 2, time-zone variations and slight alterations in protocol make it difficult to remember exactly when each major league shuts up shop. 

Players such as Juan Cuadrado, Mats Hummels and Ezequiel Lavezzi are still reported to be gaining attention from buyers and will have their future sorted one way or another by the end of deadline day. 

Here, we provide a breakdown of when you can expect the excitement to reach its most dramatic point around the continent, using Greenwich Mean Time as a marker for all, per EPFL's counter:

Division	Country	Local Deadline Time	Date	GMT
La Liga	Spain	12 a.m. CET	Jan. 30	11 p.m.
Premier League	England	11 p.m. GMT	Feb. 2	11 p.m.
Bundesliga	Germany	6 p.m. CET	Feb. 2	5 p.m.
Serie A	Italy	11 p.m. CET	Feb. 2	10 p.m.
Ligue 1	France	12 a.m. CET	Feb. 2	11 p.m.
Eredivisie	Netherlands	12 a.m. CET	Feb. 2	11 p.m.
Super League	Greece	12 a.m. UTC	Feb. 2	10 p.m.
Liga Sagres	Portugal	6 p.m. CET	Feb. 4.	5 p.m.

While deadline day usually takes place on Jan. 31, it closes on the nearest weekday to this date when the end of the month falls on a weekend, per the Manchester Evening News.

Denis Doyle/Getty Images

Those wishing to complete deals in Spain have a significantly shortened deadline in which to do so, reported by Alec Fenn of Goal.com. La Liga is the first major European league to cease incoming business, with most of Europe following its January 30 closure on February 2.

Premier League audiences can expect plenty of activity until the final minutes. Individuals such as Luis Suarez, Fernando Torres and Daniel Sturridge have all switched hands during the final hours of previous windows, meaning we can expect a handful of noteworthy deals to take place.

This is especially true when you consider Chelsea are reportedly inching closer to a deal for Fiorentina's Cuadrado, per James Dickenson of the Express. Sky Sport Italia's Fabrizio Romano suggests Jose Mourinho is running out of time to green light this one:

Fabio Muzzi/Associated Press

Telegraph Sport notes the "11 chimes of Big Ben signal the official cut-off point" in England, although the Premier League does allow paperwork to be completed after this point. The aforementioned report details the process:

"

Clubs sometimes conclude deals at the last minute, and it is not always easy for them to get everything completed and sent over by 11 p.m (GMT). The deal sheet allows a club to confirm that a deal has been reached in order to allow for additional time to submit the remaining documentation.

"

This sheet cannot be utilised before 9 p.m. and "needs to arrive fully completed before the transfer window closes," per Telegraph Sport. When completed, clubs will be granted an extension until 1 a.m. on Feb. 3 to complete the transfer. International moves still need to comply with FIFA's Transfer Matching System deadline of midnight, however.

Closure in France's Ligue 1 and the Netherlands' Eredivisie falls alongside that of the Premier League, with the Italian Serie A cutting off an hour before at 10 p.m. GMT. Bundesliga watchers will know all the German ins, with the nation's window ending five hours before this point.

Martin Meissner/Associated Press

It is important to know that buying clubs aren't affected by the selling side's window closing early, so Manchester United's rumoured pursuit of Hummels, per Dickenson, could progress until the English window shuts. Similarly, Louis van Gaal may choose to act on his reported interest in Roma's Kevin Strootman and won't be restricted by the Italian deadline one-hour earlier.

Liverpool, who are said to be in the hunt for Paris Saint-Germain's Lavezzi, will also have ample time to complete the deal. B/R UK's Ryan Bailey and Sam Tighe recently ran through a host of potential transfers:

Aside from those included in the table, there's plenty of other notable closures. Russian teams have until February 27, while Norwegian and Swedish clubs can continue to sign players until March 31. The window is almost non-existent in Finland, where acquisitions are allowed until May 6, per Fenn.

It will be interesting to see which storylines deliver this year. Will Van Gaal finally sort out United's defence? Will Lavezzi escape the wrath of Laurent Blanc? Will Harry Redknapp's floating head make an appearance through a car door on Sky Sports News? We'll have answers soon.