Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho backs early closure of Premier League transfer window

Sign up to the Independent's betting newsletter for the latest tips and offers

Sign up to the Independent's betting newsletter

Please enter a valid email address

Please enter a valid email address

SIGN UP

I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has claimed he is “not a market man” and backed proposals for the Premier League summer transfer window to shut before the first game of the season.

Mourinho, whether it has been with United or Chelsea, has traditionally looked to get all his business done as early as possible in the summer, to give his new recruits time to gel and get to know their new teammates.

The current window closes on 31 August – almost three weeks after the Premier League starts – in line with most of the other major European leagues, but there will be discussions next month with the view of shortening the period you can register new players.

“I had a meeting with the representative of the Premier League, I gave my opinion but in the end the clubs are going to vote and I think that’s obviously the democratic way,” Mourinho said.

“The decision will be the decision that the majority of the clubs are going to support. Of course I will meet with Mr Woodward because I know he would want to share my opinion, so I think very soon we are going to have a decision.

“My opinion is that we have to adapt to the situation, it doesn’t matter what. But as a football manager and not a market man, just as a football man, as someone who wants to work the team and work the players, I would prefer the window to close as soon as possible so everybody knows the players we have.

“The deals would be done earlier and nobody would be waiting for the last week and we would not have the situation that players play game number one for one team and game number two for another.”

While the early closing of the window would see clubs having a settled squad earlier on, players could still leave Premier League or EFL clubs after the English window closes if foreign leagues still allow transfers until the end of August.

But Mourinho dismissed the fear that clubs wouldn’t be able to replace players who left after the window closed and reminded the rest of the league how powerful they are compared to the rest of Europe, given the money they get from TV rights, amongst other things.

He added: “Someone asked if other leagues don't close at the same time, are we in danger of losing players in the last couple of weeks?

“My question is how many clubs in the world are powerful enough to buy the best players in the Premier League? The answer is very obvious.

“The risk is minimal and even these powerful clubs, they have to know that if we cannot buy after 13/14/15 August, we are not going to sell. If they are interested in Premier League players they will have to do that before the limit. I am not a market man, but as a football manager, I would like it to close before the first match.”