Premier League Clubs Vote to Close Transfer Window Before Start of 2018 Season

Premier League clubs have voted to close the transfer window before the 2018-19 competition gets under way.

News of the result came via Bryan Swanson of Sky Sports News:

It means clubs will not be allowed to purchase players after 5 p.m. on Thursday, August 9, 2018, although teams may choose to conduct sales abroad if they wish.

In recent years, the window has ran into the campaign; in the 2017-18 Premier League term, three matches were played before squads were finalised for the season.

Swanson confirmed the vote was won via a majority decision, not a unanimous one, and provided the statement in full from the Premier League:

For plenty, the decision will make a lot of sense, as it allows for competition in its purest form. Additionally, it also means players will be sure of their future when the Premier League kicks off. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, for example, joined Liverpool just days after playing against them for Arsenal.

There are some who have expressed doubt as to whether this will work, though. As Daniel Storey of Football365 noted, the FIFA World Cup in Russia next summer may make transfer dealings even more chaotic:

Crucially, the rest of European football's elite leagues have yet to follow suit in this initiative. It means that a player may be sold by a Premier League side after the earlier deadline and there'd be no opportunity to secure a replacement.

Juventus president Giuseppe Marotta called the Premier League's decision "wise," adding that the discussion has to be expanded to the rest of Europe.

Indeed, journalist Ste Hoare believes pushing the deadline ahead of the 2018-19 season only makes sense if other nations agree with the Premier League's perspective:

"

Closing the window early only helps if everyone else does it too. If Spain, France etc don’t, still end up with the same issues.

— Ste Hoare (@stehoare) September 7, 2017"

As BBC Sport noted, the vote has no impact on the deadlines that are currently in place in the Football League.