Is the early closure of the transfer window a stroke of genius or a mistake?
When the Premier League voted to close the transfer window before the start of the season, few envisaged the kind of impact such a decision would have on the Premier League. But now, with just 3 days to transfer deadline day, it is becoming more and more apparent that reaching such a conclusion was damming mistake.
At the time the vote was cast, 14 clubs voted in favour of the early closure, 5 voted against it, while one club abstained. After the vote, it was decided that transfer business would end on 9th August 2018, a day before the start of the Premier League.
Several managers had expressed their frustration at the way they lost their players to richer clubs in the closing days of the transfer window with less than enough time to sign replacements, while others felt pretty uncomfortable preparing their players and getting them ready for the season and even use them in one or two games in the league, only for richer clubs to prise them away, leaving the clubs totally frustrated.
There's a feeling that the moment a particular player learns of a possible transfer to another club, their commitment, spirit and focus at the current club falls dramatically. This is due to not wanting to jeopardize their opportunity for a transfer by, say, getting an injury. Samir Nasri played for Arsenal in the Gunners' 2-0 loss to Liverpool at the Emirates, the Reds first win over Arsenal at their own tuff in 11 years before his move to Manchester City, in a not-so-convincing performance.
Cesc Fabregas was said to have been injured with his move to Barcelona imminent. Surprisingly, the Spaniard declared himself fit to face Real Madrid in the 2nd leg of the following Wednesday's Super Copa Espana upon his unveiling as Barcelona player. Perhaps that confirms the rumour that he had refused to train or play in an attempt to either force a move or ensure there wasn't any possibility of an injury that would scupper his dream move to the Camp Nou.
No manager would want to have their players unsettled by transfer talk after the start of the season.
Speaking to The Independent, Jose Mourinho said of the decision to close the window early:
"My opinion is that we have to adapt to the situation, it doesn't matter what. But as a football manager and not a market man, just as a football man, as someone who wants to work for the team and work the players, I would prefer the window to close as soon as possible so everybody knows the players we have.
" The deals would be done earlier and nobody would be waiting for the last week and we would not have the situation that players play game number one for one team and game number two for another."
Mourinho and many other managers have genuine reasons for, but the decision has factors going against it that in many ways could be detrimental to particular clubs and the Premier League as a whole. Take a look: