The Premier League are reportedly considering a proposal to close the summer transfer window before the start of the 2025/26 season.
Ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, the EPL has been criticised for keeping the window open until 30 August, with the domestic campaign starting two weeks before.
Proposals to close the window before a ball is kicked in 2024/25 have reportedly been blocked due to a lack of agreement between Europe’s top five leagues, with no ground being given up.
According to reports from the The Daily MirrorThe Premier League has now joined forces with Europe’s other major leagues, via the European Club Association (ECA), to close the window on August 15, one day before the start of the season.
Former Sunderland manager Chris Woerts, who has become a notable figure in the Dutch Eredivisie, has confirmed that a plan is in the works and that only Barcelona’s intervention has previously blocked it.
“The clubs are working to have the decision taken on this within the ECA. Next year, the transfer window must close on August 15, before the start of the championships,” he said.
“Everyone is frustrated and annoyed that players are still being sold for weeks after the competitions have started.
“A big Spanish club caused problems and it couldn’t happen this year. It was FC Barcelona. Due to its financial problems, it couldn’t make any moves in the transfer market until a late stage. So it broke the pact of the “Big Five”.
A decision on the plan is expected before the end of 2024, with transfer window dates already in place for the 2024/25 mid-season market.
The Premier League, along with La Liga, the German Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and Serie A, will open their windows on January 1, but all five will close simultaneously on February 3, to promote greater harmony in the system.