Transfer window changes on their way

Premier League and Football League clubs are in talks to change the transfer window rules from next season.

Currently, the transfer window closes on 31 August, in line with other European countries, but this causes problems here because the season starts several weeks earlier.

This means that some players have to be excluded from matchday squads while trantsfers are being negotiated. Everton are not playing Ross Barkley at the moment, Virgil van Dyke is sitting out games for Southampton and Gylfi Sigurdsson is still awaiting a move away from Swansea.

A vote is set to take place at the next Premier League shareholders meeting on 7 September and the EFL will also discuss the matter next month.

“The EFL board and its clubs have previously expressed the opinion that closing the summer transfer window in advance of the season commencing would be an improvement on the current position,” said an EFL spokesperson.

“It will be important that all the consequences of such a decision are fully considered, as the requirements of our Clubs are different to those in Europe’s top flight leagues.”