Is a fax machine still used in football transfers?

There is one piece of technology that is synonymous with the drama of transfer deadline day - the modest fax machine.

A staple of offices in the 1980s and 90s, the telecommunication device was used to send scanned documents over a telephone line to another machine.

It was also the go-to method of transferring documents in the world of football, with transfers often hinging on files being sent just before the deadline.

But the piece of technology has now been phased out, with clubs sending digital faxes or scanned documents via email instead.

Notoriously in 2015, David de Gea's move from Manchester United to Real Madrid reportedly collapsed due to technical issues with United's fax machine.

Errors can still happen with clubs needing to send over documentation to the Premier League, or the English Football League, as well as the FA.

In 2023, then-Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O'Brien's deadline day loan to Blackburn Rovers was blocked by the EFL because Forest failed to submit all of the required paperwork in time.

The winter transfer window closes on Monday, 2 February at 19:00 GMT in England and at 23:00 GMT in Scotland.

This article is the latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team.