Premier League: Transfer window change to be voted on by clubs

The futures of Gylfi Sigurdsson and Philippe Coutinho are still unresolved even though the season has started
Premier League clubs are discussing plans to close the summer transfer window before the start of the season next year.

The current window, in line with many other European leagues, closes on 31 August, almost three weeks after the start of the Premier League season.

A vote is set to take place at the next shareholders meeting on 7 September.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and Swansea boss Paul Clement are among those to have called for a change.

Fifa regulations state the transfer window should close by 1 September, or as near as practical if it clashes with a weekend.

This has been a particular problem this season, with the future of several high-profile players who are expected to move between Premier League clubs - including Southampton's Virgil van Dijk, Swansea's Gylfi Sigurdsson and Everton's Ross Barkley - unresolved.

None played in the opening round of fixtures last weekend.

"A better situation would be if the transfer window closed before the start of the season," Clement said.

"I don't really understand why it goes to the end of August. I know there's talks about that changing in future. That's my opinion that it should do."

Under the proposals, Premier League sides would not be able to add to their squads once the season begins.

However, clubs from other European leagues could sign players from England in line with their own domestic deadlines.

Klopp said: "An earlier transfer deadline day would have helped us this year.

"In general, it makes sense that when the season starts that the planning is over."

The January transfer window would not be affected by the proposed changes.

According to research from betting company Bwin, seven of the 10 biggest transfers in the past five seasons which have been completed after the league campaign started involved Premier League clubs.

They were Gareth Bale to Real Madrid, Angel di Maria and Anthony Martial to Manchester United, Kevin de Bruyne and Nicolas Otamendi to Manchester City, and Mesut Ozil and Shkodran Mustafi to Arsenal.

The Premier League makes 24% of its signings after 15 August, while 12% of its signings are on transfer deadline day.

Last season's runners-up Tottenham typically make their signings late in the transfer window, and Bwin says 47% take place after the season starts.

Analysis

BBC Sport's Simon Stone

As with all issues affecting the Premier League, it will need 14 clubs to vote in favour before any change can be made.

It is a complicated scenario, not least because it has the potential to put England's top-flight teams at a disadvantage because rivals across Europe will be active for up to three weeks after the Premier League window has closed.

The plan would have no power to prevent a club such as Barcelona targeting Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho - as they have done this summer - for instance.

As Europe's major leagues all start at different points - France was a week before England, with Spain, Italy and Germany a week after - a Europe-wide change is not going to happen.

There is also the potential for clubs who do not agree - Watford are said to be against it - or agents to mount a legal challenge.

However, the disruption caused by the continuation of the transfer window beyond the start of the season has become so great, and started to affect so many teams, the feeling that something has to be done has begun to take hold.

It will certainly be an interesting topic for discussion on 7 September.

via: BBCnews