Premier League sides will no longer be allowed to buy players after the start of the league season, after clubs agreed to alter the transfer window. But what will be the impact on the Bundesliga and the rest of Europe?
Image: picture-alliance/AP/dpa/T. Ireland
Advertisement
On Thursday, the Premier League agreed to a rule amendment that will mean future summer transfer windows will end on the Thursday before the competition's opening game, rather than on August 31. Five clubs voted against the proposal, including Manchester United and Manchester City.
The change only currently deals with transfers to English clubs, meaning that clubs in other leagues could still buy players from England's top flight.
But with UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin having lent his support to the idea of shortening the window, there are some big decisions to be made in the other European leagues.
Aleksander Ceferin (r) is in favor of the change but Reinhard Grindel (l) of the DFB is not so sureImage: picture-alliance/dpa/S. Hoppe
What's the reason for change?
The move has been discussed in England for some weeks, with several top flight bosses complaining that transfer battles, such as Alexis Sanchez' proposed move to Manchester City and Coutinho's mooted transfer to Barcelona disrupt their preparations.
"Even in the games, you sit there before the games and even in players' minds they have no clarity," said Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger just before the change was announced.
"Are they in? Are they out? Are they half in? Are they half out? Are they tapped up in the afternoon of the game by people who want to get them out? It's not the way to work and it's uncomfortable.
"Every single manager in the league would agree that it's time to kick that out before the season starts."
What will the Bundesliga do?
While Wenger may say there would be universal support for changes to the existing system, which was introduced in 2002, the DFB (German Football Association) are not so sure.
Football clubs’ spending spiraling out of control?
01:34
This browser does not support the video element.
"The theme of the transfer window - regardless of the decision of the Premier League - was on the agenda of today's general meeting of sports representatives of the Bundesliga and the second Bundesliga at the DFL, and it became clear that there is no definitive opinion among the clubs," said a DFL spokesman on Thursday.
But several prominent Bundesliga clubs seem to be in favor of coming in to line with the Premier League, at least in principal.
"I believe the decision is right," said Schalke official Peter Peters. "But we would have to find a uniform regulation for all major leagues in Europe."
Borussia Dortmund managing director Hans-Joachim Watzke also offered his support, while Max Eberl of Borussia Mönchengladbach was even stronger in his reaction.
"The current regulations aren't just a distortion of the competition but also cheat the fan who buys the shirt of a player who might play for another club by the end of August," he said.
How about the rest of Europe?
To many observers, the Premier League's move is a strange one. Unless the other leagues fall in to line, it would seem that English clubs would be at a disadvantage - with a period of about 3 weeks where they can only sell and wouldn't be able to source replacements. As such, many have suggested the league expects its counterparts to follow suit.
The news from Italy is good. Juventus CEO Giuseppe Marotta says Serie A's 20 clubs are in agreement to set the end of the transfer window on July 31. "The transfer window is exhausting," he said recently. "It's become a circus."
While the opinions of figures from Europe's other top leagues (Spain and France) aren't yet clear, it's beginning to look like the rumor mill will stop churning a little earlier next year.
The most expensive Bundesliga transfers
Timo Werner's big money move from RB Leipzig to Chelsea has made the striker the most expensive German player ever. Here's a look back at the priciest moves in Bundesliga transfer history.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/J. Woitas
Ousmane Dembele
His transfer to Barcelona from Borussia Dortmund remains the most expensive ever involving a Bundesliga club. Dortmund received €105 million (€118 million) plus further add-ons. Not bad for then 20-year-old, but Dembele hasn't quite made his mark in Spain yet.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/G. Kirchner
Lucas Hernandez
Having secured one French World Cup winner in Benjamin Pavard, Bayern Munich snapped up another early on in 2019. Defender Lucas Hernandez joined the record Bundesliga champions for the start of the 2019/20 season for a hefty €80 million. The fee makes him both Bayern and the Bundesliga's most expensive signing.
Image: Getty Images/G. Bouys
Kevin De Bruyne
The 2015-16 Bundesliga season started with a transfer supernova as well. Wolfsburg's talented playmaker left for Manchester City for a reported €74 million. At the time, no German team had ever earned that much from a player sale. He's now regarded as one of the Premier League's best players.
Image: Getty Images/Bongarts/M. Rose
Naby Keita
Keita signed with RB Leipzig from Salzburg for €15million, but he only wound up playing two seasons in Germany. Why? Because Liverpool snapped him up ahead of the 2017-18 season for a reported total of €70 million. That's a pretty good profit for the Red Bull machine.
Image: Picture-Alliance/dpa/J. Woitas
Timo Werner
The Germany striker was in heavy demand, with Bayern Munich and Liverpool thought to be his most likely destinations for some time. But Premier League club Chelsea swooped in late to make Werner the most expensive German player of all time, with a fee thought to be €53 million. He has been the main man for RB Leipzig since their promotion to the top flight and leaves a big hole.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/J. Woitas
Leroy Sane
He's rumoured to be Bayern Munich's primary target in 2020 but the winger has already been involved in one of the Bundesliga's biggest moves when he moved from Schalke to Manchester City in 2016. The fee for the Germany player was reported to be just north of €50million.
Image: Reuters/L. Smith
Granit Xhaka
Switzerland international Granit Xhaka was a nice little earner for Borussia Mönchengladbach in the summer of 2017. Having moved to Gladbach from Basel for around €8.5 million in 2012, the Foals sold him on to Arsenal for a reported €45 million. He's had a mixed time in London.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/Revierfoto
Julian Draxler
Having joined Wolfsburg from Schalke a year earlier, in the summer of 2016, Julian Draxler decided he didn't want to play there either. He went through the motions for the first half of the season. In January 2017 he got his wish - a move to PSG worth a reported €40 million. It looks to have been a losing proposition for Wolfsburg, as they are thought to have paid €43 million for him.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/P. Steffen
Henrikh Mkhitaryan
Are those euro signs in Borussia Dortmund chairman Hans-Joachim Watzke's eyes? Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who had joined the Ruhr club from Shakhtar Donetsk for €27.5 million in 2013, moved on to Manchester United for a reported €42 million euros in the summer of 2016. He's since switched to Arsenal and is currently on loan at Roma.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Mueller
Corentin Tolisso
Bayern Munich broke their own transfer record with the €41.5 million purchase of French midfielder Corentin Tolisso from Lyon in June 2017, making him, at the time, the most expensive player ever to be brought into the Bundesliga.
Image: picture-alliance/Ansa/A. Di Marco
Roberto Firmino
For a short time, Brazilian Roberto Firmino held the record for the biggest sale of a Bundesliga player. In the summer of 2015, Liverpool paid Hoffenheim €41 million for his services. With a Champions League in the bag and a Premier League title almost certain to follow, they've got their money's worth.
Image: picture alliance/GES-Sportfoto
Javi Martinez
Bayern Munich splashed €40 million to acquire Javi Martinez from Athletic Bilbao, but it turned out to be money well spent. Martinez helped the Bavarians win multiple Bundesliga titles, the first of which came as part of a European treble.
