Premier League clubs given extended October window for domestic transfers

Premier League clubs will have a frantic 11-day window after the summer transfer deadline to offload players to the English Football League and raid relegated teams for last-minute domestic deals.

Chief executives have agreed on opening the window from July 27 – the day after the top-flight season finishes – until Oct 5, but have been given the extra time until Oct 16 for “domestic-only” transfers.

Norwich City, along with two other relegated clubs, will be braced for offers for their players, while EFL clubs are set for a scramble to land the best loan deals from Premier League sides looking to balance their squads.

Player agents and EFL chairmen have welcomed the extension, which will buy clubs time. They do not know when supporters will be back through the turnstiles, which will affect budgets.

Lower down the pyramid, clubs had hoped the window would remain open for as long as possible to keep money flowing, but have welcomed the certainty of knowing their transfer dates, while also accepting that Fifa has been firm on a period of 16 weeks for business through the season. The window’s closing date of Oct 5 is in line with Uefa guidelines to the same deadline across Europe before player registration for the Champions League and Europa League.

A statement from the Premier League read: “Following consultation with the EFL, a domestic-only window will be added from Oct 5, closing 5pm on Oct 16. During this window, Premier League clubs will only be able to trade with EFL clubs [either loans or permanent registrations]. No transfers can take place between Premier League clubs in this period. The transfer window is subject to the approval of Fifa.”

Football agents fear a frantic end to the window before the start of the 2020-21 season. While the window will be open in July, European competitions will still be going on and top clubs are set to wait before finalising their business. With the Champions League final being held on Aug 23, intermediaries are expecting deals to start being thrashed out later in the summer. The Premier League must start by September 12, leaving less than three weeks for many players to get moves.

Manchester City hope to be involved in the latter stages of Uefa’s elite club competition, while Manchester United and Wolves are in the Europa League, which concludes on the same weekend.