Manchester City might have found the answer to the Premier League transfer deadline problem
Manchester City have reportedly suggested a compromise that would allow Premier League clubs to continue doing transfer business after the start of the league season.
The deadline for English top-flight clubs has been much earlier than in other major European leagues since clubs voted in 2017 that it should close before the opening week of the season.
However, the new system hasn’t been universally popular as there is a feeling that it gives clubs in countries like Spain, Germany, Italy and France an advantage over their English counterparts.
This summer the Premier League window closed on 8 August, three-and-a-half weeks before the 2 September deadline in other major leagues.
The Mail Online reports that defending English champions Man City tabled a ‘best of both worlds’ plan at a shareholders’ meeting last week.
The Citizens suggested a new system that would allow Premier League clubs to continue doing business with foreign clubs until the end of August.
Any deals between domestic rivals would still need to be completed by the Thursday before the start of the new season.
The proposal is said to have been well received by the other clubs at the meeting and will be discussed further when they next get together in November, with a final vote expected in February.
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For a change in the rules to take place, a majority of 11 out of the 20 top-flight clubs would need to vote in favour.
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Alasdair Mackenzie is a freelance journalist based in Rome, and a FourFourTwo contributor since 2015. When not pulling on the FFT shirt, he can be found at Reuters, The Times and the i. An Italophile since growing up on a diet of Football Italia on Channel 4, he now counts himself among thousands of fans sharing a passion for Ross County and Lazio.