Premier League clubs agree to close summer transfer window before start of season

Arsene Wenger
Arsene Wenger has been championing the idea of closing the transfer window early Credit: PA

Premier League clubs have agreed the summer transfer window will end at 5pm on the Thursday before the start of the season.

Clubs will still be able to sell players to other leagues until their transfer windows close.

The vote was not unanimous.

As reported by Telegraph Sport last month, a majority of the 20 top flight clubs planned to attend September's shareholders' meeting to push for a new transfer deadline to be introduced.

Arsene Wenger this week voiced his support for such a change, insisting that the potential for players to be distracted by interest from other clubs is not beneficial to anyone.

 “Many things happen in the last second, which I regret,” Wenger said. “That’s why I believe it’s important that we change that and close all that stuff before the championship starts. Even in the games, you sit there before the games and even in players’ minds they have no clarity.

“Are they in? Are they out? Are they half in? Are they half out? Are they tapped up in the afternoon of the game by people who want to get them out? It’s not the way to work and it’s uncomfortable. Every single manager in the league would agree that it’s time to kick that out before the season starts and not continue to have players in the dressing room who are half out and half in.”

Arsenal sold Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to Liverpool on transfer deadline day, and nearly lost Alexis Sanchez to Manchester City.

The Football League plan to discuss a similar proposal, too.

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