The coronavirus pandemic of 2020 changed life as we know it and football has not been immune, with the beautiful game being ground to a halt across the world.
The game's administrators, from FIFA to continental confederations and national associations, worked together in an attempt salvage what they could of the 2019-20 season.
Space was made in the calendar with the postponement of the European Championship and Copa America until next year, which allowed leagues to restart in earnest in June.
But there are other issues to contend with too, including the business of transfers.
The buying and selling of players during transfer windows is one of the most hotly anticipated processes of the sport, with clubs eager to boost their options or offload proverbial dead wood.
In these extraordinary circumstances, FIFA conceded that changes would have to be made to the normal schedule regarding transfer registration periods and contracts.
So, with coronavirus-enforced delays in mind, when will the summer transfer window open? Goal brings you everything you need to know.
Contents
- When will the Premier League summer transfer open?
- When will La Liga summer transfer window open?
- When will Serie A summer transfer window open?
- When will the Bundesliga summer transfer window open?
- When will the Ligue 1 summer transfer window open?
When will the Premier League summer transfer window open?
The 2020 summer transfer window in England will open on Monday, July 27, one day after the current Premier League season ends.
It has also been confirmed that the market will close on October 5, in accordance with UEFA's wishes.
The English transfer window was originally set to open on June 10, closing on September 1, so it will effectively be pushed back a month.
When will La Liga summer transfer window open?
In Spain, the summer transfer window should open when La Liga finishes, which means it will be on or after July 18.
As mentioned, UEFA's recommended date for closing the transfer window is October 5.
The registration period had previously been set to open on July 1, 2020, closing on September 1.
When will Serie A summer transfer window open?
Serie A will conclude the 2019-20 season on August 2, but the transfer window will not open in Italy until Tuesday September 1, which was around when the original window was due to close.
While there will be a gap between action ending and business allowed to officially take place, it is expected that a number of deals will be confirmed before the beginning of the window.
The transfer window will then close on October 5, in line with UEFA's recommendation.
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When will the Bundesliga summer transfer window open?
Considering the Bundesliga will conclude by the end of June, the summer transfer window for Germany could still open from July 1 and run until August 31 as normal.
Indeed, Chelsea confirmed that Timo Werner will join the Blues from RB Leipzig in July.
However, given the state of play across Europe, it remains unclear if the original window period will be observed and it is possible that Germany will fall into line with UEFA's suggestion to harmonise the close date.
When will the Ligue 1 summer transfer window open?
Unlike Europe's other top leagues, Ligue 1 made a decision early to cut the 2019-20 season short and, thus, French football observed their previously agreed transfer window opening date of June 10.
It is restricted to domestic deals, but it seems highly unlikely that France will be able to keep its window open until October 5. Instead, the previously confirmed date of September 1 is likely to be observed.