The Premier League’s 2025 summer transfer window will open in two separate phases, following a one-off change to regulations agreed by clubs during a shareholders’ meeting in London.
The decision comes after FIFA introduced new temporary transfer rules allowing clubs participating in this summer’s expanded Club World Cup to register players earlier than usual. The new rules forced the Premier League to adjust its own transfer schedule in line with the global football authority.
In a statement, the Premier League said: “Premier League clubs have today agreed the dates for the Summer 2025 Transfer Window. The window will open early, between Sunday 1 June and Tuesday 10 June, due to an exceptional registration period relating to the FIFA Club World Cup. It will then reopen on Monday 16 June and close on Monday 1 September.”
Under existing Premier League rules, the summer transfer window is permitted to last a maximum of 12 weeks, usually starting from “midnight on the date 12 weeks prior to the date on which it is to conclude.” That would typically mean a start date around June 9, with player registrations taking effect from July 1, the standard date for contracts to begin after expiring on June 30.
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However, FIFA has allowed clubs competing in the Club World Cup—including Premier League sides Manchester City and Chelsea—to begin registering new players from June 1 to June 10. In response, Premier League clubs voted to align with this exceptional registration window while preserving the usual 12-week transfer period, resulting in the split window structure.
While the closing date of September 1 remains consistent with other major European leagues, some club sporting directors had pushed for the window to shut before the Premier League season starts on August 16, arguing it would provide greater squad certainty.
But the Premier League ultimately decided not to go it alone, after previous attempts to close the window early—such as in 2018—backfired when English clubs were left unable to replace outgoing players, while clubs across Europe could continue signing until later.
Talks are ongoing among the “Big Five” European leagues about a potential coordinated window closure date in the future.