Updated When they met on Thursday, Premier League clubs rejected the idea of closing the summer transfer window early this year — on 14 August — two days before the start of the 2025-26 season. It’s a measure that was introduced some years ago but then abandoned.
In the summer players can arrive and leave after the season has begun and it was the view of the sporting directors that preparation, as well as the integrity of the league, would be better served by stopping all trading before the season starts on Saturday 16 August.
The summer window shut early in 2018 and 2019 in time for the start of the season although that was found to be disadvantageous in the market and so the clubs reverted to the old system after the Covid-disrupted season.
The idea was formulated in early February at a meeting of sporting directors from the 20 Premier League clubs, who feel that it would be better for managers to have their squad in place before the season begins.
Instead, the following statement was released:
Premier League clubs have today agreed the dates for the Summer 2025 Transfer Window.
The window will open early, between Sunday 1 June and Tuesday 10 June, due to an exceptional registration period relating to the FIFA Club World Cup.
It will then reopen on Monday 16 June and close on Monday 1 September.
Premier League owners and chief executives rejected a recommendation from their own sporting directors that the summer transfer window should close in time for the start of the season. The decision was made that the proposal should not even go to a vote.
The feeling was that many deals drag on unnecessarily because of the extra two weeks until the start of September, and an earlier deadline would add more urgency to negotiations. But club owners and chief executives felt that it would put the Premier League at a disadvantage to other European leagues, as well as the Saudi Pro League, which would stay open later.
The Premier League also said that an early window would be opened from June 1 to June 10, primarily for the purposes of Club World Cup participants.
Manchester City and Chelsea are the only Premier League clubs playing in that competition this summer. The tournament runs from June 14 to the final on July 23. It has complicated matters, with some players currently being out of contract from June 30, including City’s Kevin De Bruyne and Real Madrid’s Luka Modric. Those players will have to come to a short-term accommodation with their clubs if they are to play in the knockout stages.