Closing the transfer window earlier?

24 hours before the Premier League season starts

The European Club Association (ECA) now wants to move the transfer window's closing date to the start of the season, according to the British newspaper The Mirror.

According to the plan, the window would close on August 15 next year (instead of August 30), which is a day before the Premier League kicks off. There is said to be an agreement that could lead to the transfer window closing at the same time across all of Europe - 24 hours before the Premier League season starts. The hope is that the rest of Europe will follow, considering that clubs from the top five leagues will not be able to recruit new players once their seasons are underway.

"Everyone is frustrated that players can be sold when the leagues are already underway," says Chris Woerts, former Sunderland director, to The Mirror.

The Premier League has, according to British media, long advocated for a change in the window's closing date. A few seasons ago, they changed the closing date themselves, and during the 2018-2019 season, the window closed as the league began. But in 2020, the deadline was moved back to September 1 to sync with other European top leagues.