FIFA announce change to transfer window closure

Apart from the English sides, teams from Europe's top leagues will have two more days to make summer signings ahead of the 2019-20 season.

The window, which for FIFA officially opens on 1st July, will not be just two months this year. Instead, teams will have two months and two days to register new signings.

The reason for the window closing two days later is that the 31st August, which is the traditional closing date, falls on a Saturday. FIFA, therefore, have decided that the best thing to do would be to move it back 48 hours so that the last day of the window falls on a Monday (2nd September).

In England, however, the end of the window actually comes three weeks earlier on 8th August. This is due to an agreement between all Premier League teams that the window must shut before the start of the season, although FIFA still consider the official end of the window to be 2nd September.