Football transfer glossary
The terms you'll see in transfer reporting, defined in plain English. Bookmark this if you ever wonder what "Bosman" or "loan-to-buy" actually means.
- Here we go
- Fabrizio Romano's catchphrase signalling a deal is effectively done — pending only the official announcement.
- Done deal
- A transfer that has been agreed and signed. Once formally confirmed, the story rates 10/10.
- Medical
- The physical examination a player undergoes before signing. Booking or completing a medical is one of the last steps before announcement.
- Personal terms
- The player's individual contract — wages, length, bonuses. Often agreed separately to the transfer fee between clubs.
- Fee agreed
- The two clubs have settled on a transfer fee, but the player still needs to agree personal terms and pass a medical.
- Loan
- A temporary transfer for a defined period, usually a season. The parent club still owns the player.
- Loan-to-buy
- A loan that includes an obligation or option to make the move permanent at the end of the loan.
- Free agent
- A player without a contract, who can sign for any club without a transfer fee.
- Bosman
- Named after the 1995 ruling: a player who runs down their contract can move on a free transfer at its expiry.
- Pre-contract
- An EU rule letting a player agree terms with a foreign club in the final six months of their contract.
- Release clause
- A pre-agreed fee in a player's contract that any club can pay to trigger negotiations or directly buy them out.
- Buyout clause
- In Spain, a legally required fee a player must deposit at La Liga to buy themselves out of a contract.
- Sell-on clause
- An agreement that the selling club receives a percentage of any future transfer fee.
- Add-ons / bonuses
- Additional fees triggered by appearances, trophies or other performance milestones.
- Image rights
- Commercial rights to a player's name, likeness and brand — often negotiated separately from the playing contract.
- Agent fee
- The commission paid to a player's representative on the deal, on top of the transfer fee.
- Tapping up
- Approaching a contracted player or their representatives without permission from their current club — against FIFA rules.
- Transfer window
- The defined period when clubs are allowed to register player transfers. Most major leagues run a summer window and a January window.
- Deadline day
- The final day of a transfer window — historically high-drama, often the busiest reporting day of the window.
- DTB / DTH
- Done to Burnley / Done to (club). Shorthand used by transfer Twitter to signal a deal is essentially locked in.
- Swap deal
- A transfer in which two clubs exchange players, with or without an additional fee.
- Cap
- Salary or wage budget restriction (in leagues like La Liga's salary cap) or international appearance count.
- PSR / FFP
- Profit & Sustainability Rules / Financial Fair Play — UEFA and league-level financial regulations that constrain spending.
- Work permit
- Required for non-domestic players in some leagues. UK clubs need GBE (Governing Body Endorsement) points for international signings.
See also Transfer window explained and How we rate.