The Football Association, the Premier League and the English Football League are still in talks over the dates of the summer transfer window.
With the 2019/20 campaign being delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic, last summer’s window opened later and subsequently concluded in early-October.
This meant a much quicker turnaround from the summer to the mid-season window in January, which closed on February 1 - a quiet window for both Manchester United and Manchester City.
What we know so far is that a provisional window of June 9 - August 31 has been published on FIFA’s Transfer Matching System for the men’s game in England. However, the FA are yet to confirm these dates.
The Premier League season is set to conclude on Sunday, May 23, so the window could feasibly open as early as May 24.
The delayed European Championship could have a bearing on the transfer window as well, with the international tournament due to get underway just under three weeks after the Premier League finishes - running from June 11 to July 11.
Back in the summer of 2017, Premier League clubs voted to ensure the window was shut before the start of the new season so it didn’t have such an impact on their players.
European clubs failed to follow suit, which left English teams vulnerable to interest in their players from abroad with no way to bring in replacements.
It meant clubs had a U-turn in 2018, changing the window’s duration yet again so they could match the rest of Europe.
This means that as things stand, the upcoming summer window is expected to overlap into the start of the 2021/22 campaign.
