Femi Azeez Brighton move went down to the wire as Millwall reveal late-night drama

Femi Azeez’s move from Millwall to Brighton & Hove Albion was still hanging in the balance deep into deadline night, with the transfer only confirmed 20 minutes before the extended window for completing the deal expired.

The Nigeria international joined Brighton on a four-year contract after the Premier League club reached an agreement with Millwall on deadline day, but the deal was far from straightforward.

Millwall director of football Steve Gallen has now lifted the lid on the dramatic final hours of the transfer, revealing that Azeez did not officially sign for Brighton until 12:40am, well after the initial 11pm deadline.

The transfer was able to proceed because Millwall submitted a deal sheet before the window closed, giving the clubs an additional two hours to complete the formalities.

Speaking to Millwall TV, Gallen explained how the agreement was kept alive despite the clock running down.

“On the last day, it was a Tuesday night, and so the transfer window closed at 11 pm. Femi did not sign for Brighton until 12:40 am, an hour and 40 minutes after the deadline,” Gallen was quoted as saying by Southwark News.

According to Gallen, Millwall had submitted the required documentation half an hour before the original deadline, leaving the clubs with enough time to complete the remaining steps.

“How did that happen? Because as long as you get the deal sheet in before 11 pm, the deal sheet went in at 10:30 pm, then you have two more hours,” he said.

Millwall left waiting for confirmation

The submission of the deal sheet meant the transfer could continue beyond the official 11pm cut-off, but there was no guarantee that the move would be completed.

Gallen revealed that he remained at Millwall’s training ground while the club waited for confirmation that Brighton had completed Azeez’s signing.

“You’ve got until 1 am. So I was sat at the training ground, and I got a phone call at 12:40 am to say Femi had signed for Brighton,” Gallen said.

The confirmation arrived with only 20 minutes remaining before the extended deadline, underlining just how close the transfer came to collapsing.

“So we did not know until 20 minutes before the end of the transfer window if he was actually going to go.”

The last-minute nature of the deal brought an anxious conclusion to Azeez’s time at Millwall, with the winger eventually securing a move to the Premier League after an impressive spell at The Den.

Azeez earns Premier League move

Azeez departs Millwall after making 77 appearances for the club, scoring 15 goals and registering 13 assists.

His final season with the Championship side proved particularly influential in attracting Brighton’s interest.

The 2025/26 campaign saw Azeez establish himself among the standout performers in the division, earning recognition in both the PFA Championship Team of the Season and the EFL Championship Team of the Season.

Those performances helped propel the Nigeria international towards a move to Brighton, where he has signed a four-year deal and will now look to establish himself at Premier League level.

For Millwall, however, the transfer provided a dramatic farewell to one of their key performers, with Gallen’s account revealing that Azeez’s departure remained uncertain almost until the final possible moment.

What appeared to be a deadline-day agreement ultimately required the deal sheet system and a late-night confirmation to get over the line.

Azeez’s move was finally completed at 12:40am, bringing an end to a transfer saga that Millwall did not know would succeed until the clock was almost out.