Many transfers happen in football behind closed doors with few lucky enough to be privy to what is actually going on.
But the circle is even closer than many think, as Roy Hodgson revealed today.
Recounting the story of how Palace signed Michy Batshuayi in the small hours of this morning, Hodgson remarked that he himself had little inside knowledge as to the deal's fine print.
Want to know how things went as deadline day drew to a shut? We'll leave it to Hodsgon, as here he explains it all from his perspective.
"He was a player that we actually discussed with regards to signing a forward player even before the transfer window opened, so he's been a name that's been on our lips for a while.