The Premier League are reportedly assessing a proposal to close the summer transfer window before the 2025/26 season starts.
Ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, the EPL came under fire for keeping the window open until August 30, with the domestic campaign kicking off two weeks before.
Proposals to shut the window before a ball was kicked in 2024/25 were reportedly blocked, due to a lack of agreement across Europe's top five leagues, with no ground ceded.
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As per reports from the Daily Mirror, the Premier League has now joined forced with the other major European leagues, via the European Club Association (ECA, to close the window on August 15, one day before the season is due to start.
Former Sunderland director Chris Woerts, who has become a notable figure in the Dutch Eredivisie confirmed a plan is being worked on, and only Barcelona's intervention blocked it previously.
"The clubs are working to get the decision made on this within the entire ECA. Next year the transfer window must close on August 15, before the leagues kick off", he said.
"Everyone is frustrated and annoyed by the fact that players are still being sold for weeks while competitions have started.
"One major club in Spain caused a problem so it couldn’t happen this year. That was Barcelona. Because of their financial problems they were not able to make moves in the transfer market until a late stage. So they broke the pact of the ‘Big Five’.
A decision on the plan is expected before the end of 2024 with the transfer window dates already in place for the 2024/25 mid-season market.
The Premier League, alongside La Liga, the German Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and Serie A, with open their windows on January 1, but all five will simultaneously close on February 3, to promote greater harmony in the system.
