With five games remaining to complete the 2019-2020 season, the English Premier League clubs will meet on Thursday to discuss when to open the summer transfer window amid suggestions it could begin the day after league campaign is concluded.
Meanwhile, two options are on the ground for the Premier League bosses on next season’s start date. With the coronavirus pandemic affecting many sporting activities, the starting date for the 2020/21 campaign will expectedly be different than it used to be. It has already been speculated that the team may just have only a month break before resuming another season, unlike when the season would have ended in May for players to go on holiday and recharge their batteries. It can’t be said that the batteries were recharge during the lockdown, but players no doubt got enough rest.
Premier League to begin on either August 29 or September 12
So, the two options on the table are to either begin the 2020 league season on August 29 or September 12. It was gathered that the clubs are pushing for the latter as the Premier League suggested the August date.
Mirror Sport reports that the Premier League seemed to be following the FA’s calendar due to the schedule of the England team and Nations League slated for September.
This would also mean that some teams participating in the Champions League and Europa League, which will end in late August, would not get any break.
September 12 is more likely to be the date they will vote for, as they also plan to discuss how the transfer window will go in tomorrow’s meeting.
With the Premier League season ending on Sunday, July 26, if the transfer window opens the next day, clubs will have around two-and-a-half months to get their recruitment sorted before the proposed deadline.
This can, however, unsettle some players if the transfer window remains open while their season is still ongoing. With the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea still involved in the Champions League, Manchester United and Wolves in the Europa League, a lot of consideration will need to be given to them as well.
Meanwhile, the FA Cup will hold on August 1, with City set to play Arsenal on July 18 and United set to face Chelsea the following day in the semi-finals. There will also be Championship play-offs on July 26 before the final at Wembley on August 4.
The clubs’ agreement is expected to be reported a few hours after the meeting. This will help clubs to prepare for next season.
