Liverpool chairman Tom Werner has told Sky Sports that he backs the Premier League’s decision to put the summer transfer window’s deadline back to the end of August instead of before the start of the season.

What did he say?

The 69-year-old was speaking on Thursday following the decision, which will come into effect this year.

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He said: “We reflected on what’s in the best interests of the league and we felt it was in the best interests of the league to be in sync with the other leagues and extend the window until the end of August.

“I understood the reason for doing it, but it put a lot of pressure on all of us to make decisions.

“It gave an advantage to other leagues. So it’s good to be consistent.”

Right decision

For the past two seasons, the Premier League window has closed before a ball has even been kicked in the top flight. On paper, you can understand why that decision was taken – managers and clubs want to have their squads prepared and ready to go right from the off – but the situation amongst the other top leagues in Europe made it a untenable rule to keep in place.

With the window still being open until the end of the month in divisions such as Serie A, La Liga and the Bundesliga, it left those clubs in England’s top tier in a potentially difficult position. Their players were still free to depart, but their employers were unable to bring in any new replacements.

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This rule reversal is big news, and now puts the Premier League on a level playing field with the rest of their rivals across the continent. The division relies on its commercial value – the decision to bring the deadline forward could have been seen as a ceding of that power. Now, they will be able to compete – and likely blow out of the water – their competitors.

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