Decision of Transfer deadline day will be made this week by all clubs, announces Richard Masters
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This week, the top-flight clubs will come to a decision on the possibility of pushing the summer transfer window deadline back to end of August, Premier League chief executive Richard Masters has confirmed. Currently, the English top-flight transfer deadline closes before the start of the league.
The Premier League clubs voted in favour of withdrawing the transfer deadline to the day before the start of the 2018 season, rather than sticking with Deadline Day on 31 August as in previous years. The change came under scrutiny, however, as it placed Premier League teams in danger of having their players threatened by European clubs after their transfer window expired, as no other league wanted to match their transfer deadline. Richard Masters, the chief Premier League executive, has said that there will be massive changes and restructuring regarding the transfers due to Britainâs exit from the European Union.
âWe're going to have another debate this week, there's a possibility that might change. One of the reasons is because the immigration system is going to change and it may be that it's the last window where freedom of movement is possible, clubs may want to take advantage of the longer window to make sure that they've taken full advantage,â said Masters to the Sky Sports.
âThere are two options. Either no change or moving it back to the end of the month. And there's a possible alternative model which is a hybrid model where you move it back, but Premier League clubs don't trade between themselves. So clubs will take a view and decide for themselves what they want to do later this week,â added the chief.
Another topic of debate that emerged from the Premier League season is how the Video Assistant Referee treats offside calls, with a few instances where the narrowest of marginal offside rulings have been disallowed. Liverpool's Roberto Firmino, Sheffield United's David McGoldrick and Norwich's Teemu Pukki are only three of the players who have seen a goal chalked off by VAR after being adjudged to be offside with their armpit.
âYes it is. It's a discussion point, rather than calling it under review, and we're constantly in discussion with PGMOL and IFAB and see whether some of these things can be loosened or whatever. We've seen more use of the Referee Review Area and that's something that will also be discussed in April. No decisions are going to be taken this week. It's more likely we will take a view on these things in April, with serious discussions and what sort of VAR clubs wants next season.â
