Football
Mark Ogden, Senior Writer, ESPN FC 5y

Sources: Prem giants want transfer extension

Senior figures at the Premier League's biggest clubs want to see the summer transfer window in England stay open longer to align with the rest of the major leagues in Europe, sources have told ESPN FC.

Manchester United's Paul Pogba and Tottenham's Christian Eriksen were linked with moves to Real Madrid, despite the domestic window having closed on Aug. 8.

The issue will be discussed next week at the Premier League chairmen's meeting on Sept. 12, with 11 of the 20 clubs needing to support an extension of the transfer window, and a final vote could be delayed until November for the issue to be reviewed.

As of last season, the summer transfer window in England has closed before the Premier League season began due to complaints by clubs of having unsettled squads when starting the campaign. But with the European transfer window having closed on Sept. 2, departures abroad from the Premier League were still a possibility, failing to solve squad uncertainties.

United saw Alexis Sanchez and Chris Smalling leave on loan to Inter Milan and Roma respectively as well as Matteo Darmian make a permanent move to Parma after the closure of the domestic window. Henrikh Mkhitaryan also left Arsenal to join Roma on loan.

Spurs boss Muaricio Pochettino, whose side have struggled in the opening stages of this season amid rumours of Madrid's interest in star Eriksen, has previously been vocal on his dislike of the early closure to the transfer window, describing the move as a "massive mistake."

Meanwhile, La Liga have said they they have no plans to follow the Premier League's lead and reduce the Spanish transfer window.

"La Liga have no intention to modify the date that FIFA determines regarding the transfer windows," a La Liga source told ESPN FC.

However, Sevilla director Monchi echoed Pochettino's words and said the transfer window closing after three rounds of matches was "madness."

"I call on all Spanish football establishments to reflect and consider if it's logical that after three rounds of [La Liga] games played, we are still looking to see if there is another player arriving or not," Monchi said in a news conference on Monday while unveiling new signing Javier Hernandez on the transfer deadline day.

"I would like us to reconsider just like the Premier League, who closed the market three days before [the start of the season]. We were talking about [signing] players that were playing that day. It's madness. We have to reflect."

Information from ESPN FC's Adriana Garcia was used in this report

^ Back to Top ^