With Premier League clubs set to vote to bring in their own transfer window that would shut before the start of the season, the issue "was a hot topic" last week when managers faced the media, according to Charlie Wood of the LONDON TIMES. It will be discussed at the next meeting of Premier League chairs on Sept. 7 and sources close to the negotiations are "confident" that the vast majority of the 20 clubs will vote for the change. The reaction from the managers "appears to support that notion."
- Arsenal Manager Arsène Wenger: "I support [the idea of moving the window], of course. For the regularity of the season, it’s better because you can have a player who you could play against three times if the transfer window is not closed when you start the season."
- ManU Manager Jose Mourinho: "As a football manager and not a marketing man, I would prefer the window to close as soon as possible. People ask, ‘If other leagues don’t close at the same time are we in danger of losing players in the last couple of weeks?’ My question is how many clubs in the world are powerful enough to buy the best players in the Premier League?"
- Stoke City Manager Mark Hughes: "From a manager’s point of view I would be in favor of the window closing before the season starts because of the disruption it causes."
- Liverpool Manager Jürgen Klopp: "In general, it makes sense that when the season starts that the planning is over -- it would’ve helped us this year.” However, Klopp, was "more philosophical than many of his rivals" in saying, "I understand that things take a little more time -- the whole market has changed."
- Man City Manager Pep Guardiola: "It would be nice. We will start the season with the squad that we’ll work with until the winter window, when the market is open again."
- West Bromwich Albion Manager Tony Pulis: "The transfer market should close before the season starts. It has been a disease that has grown over the past years, people have protracted deals to the last minute and unsettled players. The good thing this year is that there are a couple of clubs at the top of the tree struggling to keep their players, so they now know what teams in the middle and at bottom of the table go through" (LONDON TIMES, 8/18).
