Transfer window

Changes to Premier League transfer window taking shape

By Feb 2, 2018, 10:43 AM EST
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With the Premier League clubs in favor of changing the way the transfer window works, the new rules will come into place for this summer.

It is all becoming a lot clearer.

With 14 of the 20 PL teams agreeing to end the 2018 summer transfer window before the 2018-19 Premier League season begins in a previous vote, we now know the key dates to get business done as a report from Sky Sports on Friday stated that FIFA has confirmed when the summer window opens in England.

Why the change?

The main reason for this move is to stop the uncertainty around players leaving a certain club three or four game weeks into a season.

There are, however, fears that Premier League clubs may be at a disadvantage as they couldn’t replace players after the new deadline if they sold them to clubs outside of the Premier League whose transfer window will remain open until August 31.

But if PL clubs don’t want to do business with foreign clubs between the PL deadline and the later summer deadline for the rest of Europe, and the world, then they don’t have to.

This decision to shorten the summer window by one month will see PL managers know exactly who they have in their squad when they kick off the first game of the season. The transfer sagas of Alexis Sanchez, Philippe Coutinho and Virgil Van Dijk last summer will no longer drag on into the season, and this has to be a good thing for everyone concerned.

We don’t know how long this change will last as PL clubs could decide to go back to the Aug. 31 deadline, but here’s what we do know…

What we know about the summer window

  • FIFA have confirmed the summer transfer window will open in England on Friday, June 9, 2018
  • Premier League clubs have voted to close their own window at 12 p.m. ET on Thursday August 9, which is just over 48 hours before the opening games of the 2018-19 season
  • That would mean the window would last exactly two months from June 9 to August 9
  • As things stand, the transfer window in England will officially close on August 31, 2018 for non-PL clubs, but the English Football League may follow the Premier League’s rule changes
  • Across Europe it is believed the transfer window will remain open until Aug. 31

Reports: Premier League breaks summer transfer window spending record

By Sep 1, 2017, 8:58 AM EDT
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For the sixth consecutive year, Premier League clubs broke the bank to bring in new signings.

According to accounting powerhouse Deloitte, Premier League clubs spent a record of around $1.81 billion in transfer fees, including $271.85 on deadline day alone. Amazingly, this total could have been higher had deals for Tomas Lemar, Alexis Sanchez and Ross Barkley gone through among others.

[ FOLLOW: All of PST’s PL coverage ]

The summer transfer window’s total is nearly $1.3 billion more than was spent five years ago, but it’s in line with the increased revenues for clubs across the Premier League thanks to new television deals around the world. According to Deloitte, most clubs spend one-third to one-fifth of their revenues on transfer fees and this summer it was around 31 percent of revenues were spent on transfers.

Manchester City led the Premier League with $278.3 million spent on transfers this summer. Man City, Chelsea, Man United, Everton, Tottenham and Liverpool combined to spend approximately $1.109 billion in the transfer market. Arsenal, Stoke City, Burnley and Swansea City all finished in the black.

“When analyzed in the context of generating record broadcast, commercial and matchday revenues, Premier League clubs are spending well within their means,” Deloitte’s Dan Jones told the BBC. “While the transfer record for a single player has again been broken by a major European club, the Premier League’s clubs enjoy an unrivaled depth of purchasing power, as a result of the league’s relatively equal – and transparent – distribution of broadcast revenues.”

How should Premier League change the transfer window?

By Aug 15, 2017, 1:01 PM EDT
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Deadline day the day before the season begins? Yes please.

[ MORE: Chelsea to spend $155 million? ]

Reports on Monday stated that next month the Premier League will discuss how to change the rules for the 2018-19 summer transfer window, with an end to the window shutting two weeks into the new season proposed.

It is believed that will be the main proposal at the shareholders meeting as 14 of the 20 PL clubs would have to vote in favor of the notion for it to become a reality. It is believed the majority of Premier League clubs would like to have the transfer window end before the season begins.

For the Premier League, what have they got to lose by trying this?

[ MORE: PL Playback – Week 1 ]

The main issue is that the transfer windows across the rest of Europe will not fall in line with their new date, and with leagues in Germany, Spain and Italy historically starting later than the PL, those clubs may have an advantage when it comes to buying players until the end of August with PL clubs having their hands tied if a player from Spain, Italy or elsewhere suddenly becomes available. That’s tricky but then it would force PL clubs to get their business done early and deal with it, even if they lose a player to a club elsewhere in Europe.

It is proposed that the transfer window closing before the 2018-19 season begins would only limit the buying or loaning of players, while PL players can still be sold to other leagues in England and abroad. That’s the biggest issue but it’s avoidable if they club decides it is not selling at any price. Of course, this situation gets trickier with release clauses, but maybe we will just see less of these agreed to in players’ contracts?

With the situations regarding Gylfi Sigurdsson, Virgil Van Dijk, Philippe Coutinho, Ross Barkley, Alexis Sanchez and Diego Costa rumbling on, we’ve been without some of the PL’s top stars to start the season. Aside from the obvious reason of wanting them out on the pitch to increase the level of play, their clubs haven’t got settled squads when the action kicks off and it creates a huge amount of uncertainty and negativity.

No changes to the January transfer window, which will run from Jan. 1 until Jan. 31, are proposed, but having the window shut at the start of the season makes sense. It is logic and enables squads to have their team set in place for the entire season rather than scrambling in the final weeks of the window, when prices are at a premium, to find replacements for their star player who has decided he wants to move to a bigger club a la Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool to Barcelona.

Having deadline day on the Thursday before a season begins would create a mega event where fans would throw parties to not only celebrate late signings ahead of the season but also celebrate the start of the year. Think about how you and other fans of your team were feeling last week before the 2017-18 campaign kicked off. Optimism was in the air. The birds were chirping delightfully. The sun was shinning brighter. Crystal Palace were going to finish in the top six.

If you had that feeling coupled with the safety of knowing your squad kicking off the season would be in place until at least Jan. 1, it would be a lot more enjoyable for fans, players, managers, clubs, literally everyone involved.

Of course there will be teething problems along the way, but it’s easy to see why most PL clubs are behind trying something different when it comes to the transfer window. Having multiple star players sitting on the sidelines for the opening two weeks of the season with minor injuries or “not in the right frame of mind” to play isn’t a good look and looks like be the final straw.

Something has to change and this is the most logical option for the Premier League, but finding a way to integrate all of Europe’s top leagues into one date would still be the best option and a very tricky one to negotiate.

Transfer Rumor Roundup: Dembele to West Ham; Gabbiadini to Saints

By Jan 5, 2017, 12:52 PM EST
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Moussa Dembele could be heading to West Ham United.

[ MORE: Conte reveals title rivals ] 

The 20-year-old forward is in fine form at Celtic in the Scottish Premier League with 19 goals in 36 appearances in all competitions following his move from second-tier Fulham last summer.

According to the Daily Mail, West Ham have funds to spend in January and Slaven Bilic could bid $25 million for Dembele.

However, Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has intimated that Dembele will not be allowed to leave in January and he will stay until at least the summer but with Celtic pretty much locking up the Scottish Premier League, they currently have a 19-point lead over Rangers with a game in hand, maybe a big bid will tempt them to cash in.

One thing that is for sure is that the Hammers are clearly in the market for a striker as reports suggest a $7.4 million was made for Sunderland’s Jermain Defoe and that Bilic is also rumored to be interested in Brentford striker Scott Hogan.

Southampton are in the hunt for Napoli striker Manolo Gabbiadini.

The Daily Mirror claims that Saints are ready to bid $21 million for the 25-year-old Italian international.

[ MORE: Fonte hands in transfer request ] 

Saints have scored just 17 goals this season in the Premier League, the second-lowest amount in the league, and with Charlie Austin out injured for the next three months Claude Puel only has Jay Rodriguez and Shane Long to rely on. They have four PL goals between them this season.

Gabbiadini has been linked with a move to Everton and Wolfsburg but he has only scored three goals in 17 games in all competitions this season. Hardly prolific.

DEADLINE DAY VIDEO: Breaking down the Premier League transfer window

By Feb 2, 2015, 9:58 AM EST
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So it’s Deadline Day.

[ DEADLINE DAY: AM transfer rumor roundup ]

We all know moves go down in the transfer windows, but for an in-depth look into how the transfer system works in the Premier League, here’s a primer from the NBC Sports Soccer crew.